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Work Zone Safety Week kicks off in Idaho

Spring is in the air and as the weather continues to warm, drivers will notice more orange barrels on the roads as the highway maintenance and construction season begins across Idaho. This week, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) reminds Idahoans that work zone safety is everybody’s responsibility.

Work zones play a key role in the department’s mission of safety, mobility, and economic opportunity. They are also areas where the combination of changing traffic patterns, the presence of workers, and other delays highlight the importance of everyone doing their part to keep traffic safely moving through.

“There are a lot of moving parts in these work zone,” said ITD Employee Safety and Risk Manager Randy Danner. “When you drive into these areas, it’s not like your normal commute – there are trucks entering and leaving construction areas, there are speed changes and lane changes. It’s a very dynamic setting.”

While workers are especially vulnerable since their focus is on the task at hand rather than traffic passing by, the majority of crashes in work zones involve cars crashing into each other. Last year in Idaho, nine people were killed in work zone related crashes – not one of those people was a highway worker.

“We take a lot of steps to keep our work zones safe, but we really we need the public’s help to reduce crashes in these areas,” Danner said. “These highway workers are out there to keep our roads safe, we need drivers to do their part, too.”

Here are some tips to help you stay safe as you drive through work zones this summer:

- Plan ahead.
- Wear your seatbelt.
- Expect the unexpected.
- Avoid distractions.
- Pay attention to the drivers around you.
- Don’t speed or tailgate.
- Obey road crews and signs.
- Be patient and stay calm.