MCDOT Work Zone Safety Awareness Week

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman honored a Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) employee today for preventing a serious crash in a work zone. The event kicked off the county’s week-long recognition of National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week.
Supervisor Hickman presented MCDOT Traffic Control Technician Tim Wise with a Certificate of Valor for his role in averting a serious crash while working in a work zone on Tuthill Road in February. During the incident, Wise stepped in to gain the attention of a distracted driver, preventing that driver from crashing into another vehicle carrying a family that was stopped in the work zone.
“Work zone safety awareness should be a priority for each of us,” said Chairman Hickman. “Drivers and their passengers account for 82 percent of all work zone fatalities. If it hadn’t been for the brave actions of Mr. Wise that certainly could have been the situation here in Maricopa County.”
During the February incident, Wise stepped in to gain the attention of a distracted driver, preventing that driver from causing a serious crash with another vehicle carrying a father and two young children that was stopped in the work zone.
“Drivers play a critical role in keeping everyone safe in work zones,” said MCDOT Director Jennifer Toth. “As the situation on Tuthill Road shows, your actions while driving through a work zone can be the deciding factor in preventing an accident.”
To avoid work zone accidents, drivers are encouraged to:
• Stay Alert and Minimize Distractions: Dedicate your full attention to the roadway. Avoid changing the radio station, using a mobile phone, eating, or other distractions that can remove your concentration from the road
• Don’t tailgate: Follow other vehicles at a safe distance
• Obey the Posted Speed Limit: Workers may be present just feet away. Fines may be doubled for moving traffic violations. Be prepared to slow down further if conditions indicate the need.
• Follow Instructions from Flaggers and Be Patient
National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week is recognized April 11 – 15, 2016 to remind drivers to practice safe driving techniques while driving in work zones. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), more than 30,000 people are injured by crashes in road construction work zones each year. This year's theme, "Don't Be THAT Driver!" reinforces the message that motorists should constantly be alert and prepared for changes in and around work zones.
As part of its efforts to promote National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, MCDOT employees will be wearing special pins to commemorate those who have lost their lives in work zones as well as participating in Go Orange Day on Wednesday, April 13.