Road Commission of Macomb County - Progress In Transportation

Road Commission of Macomb County 117 South Groesbeck Highway Mt. Clemens, MI 48043 Phone 586.463.8671 Fax 586.463.8683		Lawrence J. Moloney, P.E., Chairman Dan G. Dirks, Vice-Chair Fran Gillett, Commissioner

National Work Zone Awareness Week April 14, 2010 As the Road Commission of Macomb County kicks off road construction season, we join with road agencies throughout the country in recognizing National Work Zone Awareness Week coming up April 19 through 23, 2010. This national campaign is conducted every year at the start of construction season to attract attention to work zones and the need to drive carefully through construction sites on our roads. The national kick-off media event takes place on Monday, April 19th in New York City. This year’s slogan for the 2010 event is “Work Zones Need Your Undivided Attention”. With the return of the familiar orange barrels, the Road Commission of Macomb County asks motorists to “unplug” from distractions as they enter work zones to keep both the road workers and themselves safe. More than 85 percent of fatalities in highway work zones are drivers and passengers. “Motorists must unplug from distractions when entering work zones,” explained Bob Hoepfner, County Highway Engineer for the Road Commission of Macomb County. “As roadways get more congested and workers are present, more attention is need to driving. It is not just the workers at risk, but the motorists as well.” One of the most significant driver distractions is cell phone use. A University of Utah study concluded that talking on a cell phone while driving is as dangerous as driving drunk, even if a hands-free model is being used. The National Safety Council estimates cell phone use while driving leads to 1.4 million traffic accidents annually – more than distractions from other passengers, eating, smoking, grooming, pets and objects moving in the vehicle, reading and even texting. Depending on the depth of the conversation, cell phone use often makes driving the secondary task, causing a dangerous situation. Across the country, more than 700 people died in work zone accidents in 2009. “While these figures have been declining in recent years, we need to keep the trend going,” added Hoepfner. “The safety of our employees, contractors and motorists is our number one priority. We ask motorists to slow down, buckle up, drive sober, pay attention, and at all times, drive as if their lives depend on it.” National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) was initiated in 1999 by the FHWA, ATSSA and AASHTO pledged to increase public awareness of work zone safety. More info is available at these websites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLc7jL7M6P0 http://www.workzonesafety.org/ http://www.atssa.com/cs/root/news_pr/nwzaw # # # # # # # # Other Press Releases: 2010-04-14 - National Work Zone Awareness Week... 2010-01-04 - Road Commission Elects New Chairman... 2009-11-23 - EPOKE Systems Help Snow And Ice Removal... 2009-11-20 - Romeo Plank Widening Complete... 2009-10-28 - Mound Road Nativity Scene... 2009-09-14 - Road Stimulus Projects... 2009-01-12 - Commissioner Gillett... 2009-01-08 - Expenses...