Traffic Payout

On Washington state and local roads from 2005-2009, 46 drivers, passengers and roadway workers were killed and close to 4,000 injured in work zones. And the majority of the time, it’s driver speed that causes those injuries, those deaths.

Just this week, someone drove a car into a construction zone and hit a parked WSDOT truck on southbound I-5 at the I-90 interchange. A worker in the truck received minor injuries, while the car’s passenger was killed. And in work zone collisions, 90 percent of the time, it’s the driver or passenger who suffers.

Ever try and convince someone their own behavior will get them killed? The term “blue in the face” comes to mind….

So we ask people to Give ‘em a Brake. Seen those signs? They ask drivers to slow down through work zones and don’t hit “them” working there. The Give ‘em a Brake efforts show success across the country.

Have you ever wondered who ‘em is? They are members of the community, and may be sitting or standing right next to you. At a recent Olympia-area youth baseball game, each field had at least one parent who is a transportation worker.

The person out there working in traffic could be someone you know. See how others are showing their support for “them” workers and see what you can do at the Go Orange for Work Zone Safety Web site www.wsdot.wa.gov/Safety/Brake.

Please, give them a brake and give yourself a brake too. Slow down in the work zone.