After a brutal winter, spring has finally arrived with its profusion of color: whites and pinks … and orange — lots of orange — as in the orange of work zones.
The National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 7-11 to remind motorists to be careful around those men and women whose jobs put them along the highways and byways and into harm’s way. But not all work zones are for road repair. Indiana’s electric cooperatives remind motorists that utility crews also toil along the roadsides to build, repair and maintain the highway of electric power lines. Sometimes, crews can be around the next corner or just over the hill — day or night.
“While routine line work is done during daylight hours, emergencies happen at anytime,” said Rick Coons, CEO at Indiana Electric Cooperatives. “We want to remind motorists our crews can be out there working at all hours and to be careful whenever they see warning signs and flaggers.”
Whenever motorists see the orange diamond-shaped work zone warning signs, they should slow down and prepare for the zone ahead. Motorists should also take note that Indiana’s “slow down, move over” law isn’t just for emergency vehicles like police stopped on the roadside. Utility work crews — with flashing amber lights — are also protected by the law.
When an emergency vehicle is stopped on two- or four-lane roadways with emergency lights flashing, Indiana law requires motorists to approach cautiously and change lanes away from the emergency vehicle if they can do so safely. If not, they should reduce their speed to 10 mph under the posted speed limit and proceed with caution. The Indiana State Police said motorists should not stop in the roadway; this may cause a chain reaction rear-end collision with other vehicles.
Emergency vehicles protected by the law include:
- Police vehicles
- Ambulances
- Fire trucks and rescue equipment
- Highway incident-response vehicles
- Highway maintenance vehicles
- Utility service vehicles
- Vehicle recovery equipment (tow trucks)
Violating the law can result in a fine and a suspended license if you cause damage to emergency equipment, or injury or death to an emergency worker. Steeper penalties, including jail time, are enforced for infractions within highway work zones.
The addition of utility and highway vehicles to the move-over law took effect in July 2010. The change was named “Bryan’s Law” for Bryan Osbon, a 25-year-old Frankfort City Power and Light worker killed in 2008 when the driver of an SUV disregarded flaggers at a work zone and struck a utility truck parked alongside a state road.
Though move-over laws are only for emergency vehicles, the Indiana State Police notes that drivers should always be courteous to those parked on the shoulder. Give them room to safely repair their vehicles. Be a courteous driver to all, and help prevent tragedies.
“Working on power lines energized with 7,200 volts way up in the air at all hours and in all kinds of weather is dangerous enough for lineworkers,” said Coons. “We ask folks to please not make it more dangerous by speeding so closely by them.”
Sources: Indiana State Police, Workzonesafety.org, moveoverlaws.com
