National Work Zone Safety Week begins April 4-8
Motorists need to drive with caution in highway work zones.

March 31, 2011, Greenville, AL-- We approach through them with little forethought, until the warning sign appears that prison time is the result of killing a working in a highway work zone.  But your rear view mirror shows the animated driver behind you talking on a cell phone and then braking hard to avoid hitting a flagman.

Electric utility crews, highway repairmen, and many others who work along roadways are in danger when motorists are unfazed by the orange traffic barrels, flashing arrows, and other signals that try to slow traffic.  When traffic warning devices don’t work, someone can be injured or killed, and 115 construction workers lost their lives in the US in 2009, but so did 667 motorists who died in construction zones.  Pioneer Electric Cooperative urges motorists to slow down and pay close attention to work crews while driving.

April 4-8 is National Work Zone Safety Week in 2011, designated to call attention to the need for heightened awareness of potential tragedy in work zones along both busy and lightly traveled roadways.  Electric utility linemen and utility contractors trimming trees along overhead power lines are among the many whose job is made more dangerous because of inattentive drivers.

As part of the “Teach Learn Care” TLC campaign, the program urges everyone to make sure their friends and loved ones, and especially inexperienced drivers, are aware of the hazards surrounding work zones.

“Power poles and electrical equipment line our streets and highways, and narrow roadways often require crews to place their equipment in traffic lanes,” said Jason Settle, Vice President of Engineering and Operations for Pioneer Electric.  “Their work activities are often taken for granted but benefit us all, and like everyone, they deserve a safe workplace. Be alert to utility crews and other work zone workers for their safety as well as yours.”

To help prevent fatalities and injuries this year, Pioneer Electric recommends the following guidelines while driving:

• Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and traffic barriers, trucks, construction equipment and workers. 
• Be patient: Traffic delays are sometimes unavoidable, so try to allow time for unexpected occurrences in your schedule.
• Obey all signs and road crew flag instructions.
• Merge early and be courteous to other drivers.
• Use your headlights at dusk and during inclement weather.
• Minimize distractions:  Avoid activities such as operating a radio or cell phone, or eating while driving.

Many states have recently restricted the use of cell phones in work zones, so be aware of the legislation in your area.  The most common crash in a roadway work zone is the rear-end collision, so remember to leave at least four car lengths of braking distance between you and the car in front of you.  Be prepared to leave more room between you and the car ahead of you if the weather presents hazardous driving conditions.

“When people are traveling between locations, we’re often preoccupied with maintaining a schedule and become impatient with delays,” Settle said.  “Unfortunately this may lead us to neglect the most important factor in our lives- our safety.  It’s always more important to arrive at a destination alive and unharmed, than on time.”  For more information on work zone safety, visit our website at www.pioneerelectric.com.

***For more information, visit the Federal Highway Administration Web site at www.fhwa.dot.gov.