Roadside Chat - Wait, you work here? Slow down in work zones
Thousands of your family members, friends, and neighbors are hard at work to make Iowa’s roads the safest, most efficient system possible. But to get that work done, they need your help.
When you see a “Work zone ahead” sign, pay extra attention to what is coming up. Work zones come in all shapes and sizes and the traffic patterns can change from day to day. Since rear-end crashes are the most common type of crash in a work zone, watch for the traffic ahead of you, slow down, and leave plenty of space between vehicles in case there is a sudden stop ahead.
In Iowa in 2021, there were 497 crashes in work zones where seven people lost their lives and 158 people were injured. Last year in our state, all seven of those who died were motorists, but in 2020, there were 636 total crashes and eight fatalities that included four motorists and four workers.
Here’s a perspective from one of our paint crew supervisors that was filmed last year - https://youtu.be/giA4Pn8Gp7g
In 2022, there have been 76 deaths in traffic crashes. That’s an increase of six since last Friday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf
Engineers, transportation workers, and enforcement take their jobs very serious when it comes to protecting the traveling public. Your safety and their safety deserve everyone's focus and attention on the roads.
Posted by: Chris P. | 04/22/2022 at 01:18 PM