In April each year, National Work Zone Awareness week is held to bring national attention to motorist when driving through work zones. Work zones are hazardous for both motorist and workers, but most of the responsibility for safety belongs to drivers.
“We’re proud to promote National Work Zone Awareness Week, an annual event that takes place this year from April 23 to 27,” says Rick Coons, CEO at Indiana Electric Cooperatives. “It’s a time to remind local drivers about the need to be extra careful when they drive through work zones. Indiana Electric Cooperatives (IEC) crews often set up work zones to protect themselves when performing work in the local counties and communities.”
Power lines are typically located along roads; this is especially true in rural locations. When IEC has to repair a line or perform maintenance, crews are usually in the roadway or very close. Warning signs and flaggers are used to direct traffic. However, it’s up to drivers to pay attention and make sure they avoid our crews.
To protect electrical workers and others who may be in work zones, IEC offers several recommendations:
- Pay attention to warning signs and flaggers.
- Increase your alertness when you approach and enter a work zone.
- Don’t speed or tailgate in and around work zones.
- Avoid distractions such as talking or texting on the phone, changing your radio, eating, or drinking when approaching or in work zones.
- Keep your attention on the road, rather than looking to see what the workers are doing.
- Turn your headlights on to make your vehicle more visible to workers and other drivers.
- Watch for brake lights or slow moving vehicles.
Most importantly, be prepared for the unexpected. You never know when the driver in front of you may stop suddenly or shift lanes. You also don’t know if a worker may have to step into the road or swing a piece of equipment into traffic. Always be ready to react.
Indiana applies very tough penalties for work zone infractions and crashes. Speeding in a work zone can result in fines of $300 or more. That fine increases to $1,000 after multiple offenses. Aggressive or reckless driving in a work zone can cost $5,000. And if a worker is injured or kill, you could even face up to eight years in prison.
“On behalf of IEC’s workers, please slow down and take your time while passing through work zones,” Coons adds. “It’s important to your safety and also those who are hard at work to help you and your neighbors.”
SOURCES: Indiana Department of Transportation, National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, US Federal Highway Administration.
