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Work Zone Awareness 2019

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation and its partners want to let drivers know that In The Game of Cones, Safety Always Wins. Work zone fatalities are the result of driving too fast, inatentive driving or following too closely to other drivers. These three factors have resulted in 65 deaths in Oklahoma during the last five years. Four of these preventable fatalities were ODOT workers while the rest were drivers and passengers just like you.

The goal of this year's Your Life Matters Work Zone Safety campaign is to remind drivers that they have the most to gain by practicing good work zone safety. Watch for our PSA and social media content on your Facebook and Twitter feeds or on several billboards in the OKC and Tulsa metro areas. This year's Your Life Matters safety campaign theme, Game of Cones, is a play off of the popular television show Game of Thrones.

From April 1-14 Oklahoma City motorists will see visual reminders of work zone safety, like on the evening of April 8 when the City of Oklahoma City's SkyDanceBridge over I-40 will glow orange in honor of ODOT's fallen highway workers. The Game of Cones throne will be available in Tulsa and Oklahoma City during the two week long campaign.

TO HELP keep you safe when traveling, check your route for potential ODOT work zones via this Current Construction Projects map: http://tinyurl.com/z5rsdyh or follow @OKDOT on Twitter or Facebook at www.facebook.com/OKDOT. Sign up for traffic advisories direct to your email at www.odot.org.

Partnering with ODOT as sponsors for the work zone safety awareness campaign are the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority,
Action Safety Supply Co. and others.

ODOT's announcement for this years Work Zone Safety Awareness campaign can be viewed on the ODOT website.

Work Zone Awareness Schedule

April 1 - Work Zone Awareness campaign Game of Cones kicks off at ODOT headquarters in Oklahoma City.

April 5 - Wok Zone Awareness Game of Cones display will be at the Woodland Hills Mall in Tulsa from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

April 8 - National Work Zone Awareness Week begins. The Oklahoma Cit Skydance bridge over I-40 will glow orange to raise awareness.

April 9 - Work Zone Awareness memorial ribbon display will be in Lawton at I-44 and US-62/ Rogers Ln.

April 12 - Work Zone Awareness Game of Cones comes to Oklahoma City and will displayed at Penn Square Mall from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Work Zone Fatalities

Highway work zones can be a dangerous place for drivers, passengers and workers if work zone safety is ignored. Just look at the numbers to see:

  • 65 fatalities in Oklahoma highway work zones from 2013-2018, including four ODOT workers;
  • 14 fatalities in Oklahoma highway work zones in 2017;
  • 260 collisions in Oklahoma highway work zones in 2017;
  • 302 people were injured in Oklahoma collisions in 2016 with 295people injured in 2015;
  • 1,348 people were injured in 1,047 collisions in Oklahoma work zones in the past five years; and
  • 765 people were killednationwide in 2016, which is about an 8 percent increase from 2015fatality numbers.

The way you drive in work zones has a direct effect on your own safety, with four out of five people killed in work zones are motorists or passengers in vehicles as well as the safety of highway workers.

PSA

Motorists are about 20 times more likely to die in work zone accidents than ODOT workers. We urge drivers to slow down and put away distractions, and berespectful of other drivers especially in work zones.

Safety Tips to Live By

Follow these tips to help keep you, other motorists and work zone employees safe:

  • Stay Alert! Dedicate your full attention to the roadway.
  • Set Aside Distractions! Avoid using mobile phones or changing radio stations while driving in the work zone.
  • Focus on Safe Driving!
  • Buckle Up! Safety belts save lives.
  • Pay Close Attention! Merge when directed, and pay attention to all signs and work zone flaggers.
  • Turn on Your Headlights! Be visible to workers and other drivers.
  • Don't Speed! Note the posted speed limits in and around the work zone.
  • Don't Tailgate!
  • Keep Up with the Traffic Flow!
  • Don't Change Lanes in the Work Zone!
  • Don't Drink and Drive! Impairment is a danger to everyone using the highways.
  • Plan Ahead! Expect delays and leave early so you can reach your destination on time.
  • Be Patient! Work zones aren't there to inconvenience you; crews are working to improve the road to make your future drive better.

Governor's Proclamation

As a show of support for Work Zone Awareness Governor Kevin Stitt has issued the following proclamation.


Social Media Content: Facebook and Twitter

Last Modified on Nov 01, 2020
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