Speeding, distracted driving and following too closely are the top three causes that kill not only workers but also motorists inside Oklahoma work zones. According to new information from law enforcement groups statewide, drivers are starting to turn the corner when it comes to work zone safety.
Accident reports from the first half of 2017 show five people were killed and more than 230 people were injured in more than 180 collisions in Oklahoma work zones. These early numbers appear to show a decrease in work zone accidents from the previous year, where 18 people were killed and 302 people were injured in 242 collisions in Oklahoma work zones.
“We want to say a huge thanks to drivers for hearing our message about the life-changing and split-second consequences of being distracted or impaired when behind the wheel in a work zone,” Oklahoma Transportation Secretary and Oklahoma Department of Transportation Executive Director Mike Patterson said. “While these numbers are still preliminary, we are hopeful these messages will continue to spread awareness and prevent work zone accidents.”
On Friday, the ODOT Division 8 headquarters in Tulsa installed a memorial display of 75 large ribbons on its front lawn. Each white ribbon symbolizes a person killed in a work zone in the past five years, and the four orange ribbons represent an ODOT employee killed in the line of duty during that time. The display is part of the ongoing month-long safety campaign called Your Life Matters: Drive Like It. This messaging thanks drivers for remembering that they have the control behind the wheel and for driving safely not just to protect workers and other drivers but also themselves.
With the safety campaign winding down in the first week of May, its critical safety message should be remembered throughout the year, especially as warmer temperatures allow for increased maintenance and construction activities on highways and bridges. Drivers are reminded to keep their safe driving habits in place while hitting the road this summer.
The 2018 Your Life Matters: Drive Like It campaign is sponsored by the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and industry partners.