Springtime just naturally call us to be outside. We love planting in our gardens, sprucing up our yards, attending outdoor sporting events and driving with the windows rolled down.
There’s a relaxed sense of time in the spring as well. We feel like we need to enjoy the sunshine, park at the last space in the parking lot and take our time walking into the office.
Yet, for many, once we’re behind the wheel and driving we become agitated when slowed down by a roadway work zone.
Just as spring is the perfect time to upgrade or maintain our homes, it is also the best time to start projects to maintain the condition of our major roads, while improving our minor road surfaces.
At MoDOT we’re working hard to make our work zones as safe as [possible. We offer the online Traveler’s Information Map, as well as an online "rate our work zone" tool. We’ve improved our work zone signs and we actively employ the latest technology to help us monitor traffic and decrease delays.
Since 2000, 15 MoDOT employees have been killed in the line of duty.
Distracted driving is the biggest problem. The top five contributing circumstances for work zone crashes in 2011 were inattention, following too closely, improper lane usage/change, too fast for conditions and failure to yield -- in that order.
Take time to enjoy your drive. Relax. Slow down. Drive Smart in Work Zones and Arrive Alive.
