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American Road and Transportation Builders Urge Motorist Caution In Work Zones

2 July 1999

American Road and Transportation Builders Urge Motorist Caution In Work Zones During July 4th Holiday Weekend

    WASHINGTON, July 1 -- As Americans hit the roads to celebrate
the July 4th holiday weekend, the American Road and Transportation Builders
Association (ARTBA) is calling on motorists to pay special attention and drive
carefully through road construction sites. Vehicle accidents in highway
construction zones are a serious public health problem. More than 700 people
are killed and 37,000 are injured in accidents at these sites each year.
    Last year, Congress authorized over $200 billion in federal highway
investment through 2003 to improve road and bridge conditions. That could mean
an estimated 66 percent increase in the number of road construction sites
nationwide.

    To help drivers navigate safely through these sites, ARTBA has the
following tips:

    * Look for and pay attention to the orange diamond-shaped warning signs or
electronic message boards posted in advance of a road construction project.
    * Obey the posted speed limits in a work zone area. Workers could be
present literally just feet away. Many states now double the fines for
violations in these sites.
    * Use extra caution when driving through a construction site at night.
    * Be aware that traffic patterns in work zones can change daily.
    * Watch for any detours and/or lane diversions. Lanes may be closed.
    * Prepare for the unexpected ... workers or moving construction vehicles
entering traffic.
    * Just because workers are not present does not mean it is safe to speed
through a work zone. It remains marked and signed for a purpose -- to alert
you to potential dangers.

    ARTBA and the Federal Highway Administration recently created the National
Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse to provide information on road
construction zones. The facility, which is housed at the Texas Transportation
Institute, provides a wealth of information to anyone interested in making
road construction zones safer for motorists, pedestrians and highway workers.
    Users can reach the Clearinghouse via toll-free phone (1-888-447-5556), on
the Internet at http://wzsafety.tamu.edu, fax (409-845-0568), or e-mail
(workzone@tamu.edu).
    Established in 1902, ARTBA represents the $160 billion U.S. transportation
construction industry in the nation's Capital.