I set up work zones for road construction. This includes installing signs to let drivers know what is coming up ahead whether it be a lane closure, a lane shift shift, a speed change, etc. When there is a lane closure , we put the signs that give advance warning where drivers can see them from far enough away that they have time to react. We also taper the beginning of the lane closure to give drivers ample room to merge.
Even with all of the precautions and steps we take to provide a safe area to work, workers are still getting killed on the roadways. The only factor that we cannot control are the drivers. On a daily basis I see people fly by me on the highway like I'm not even there , sometimes they are only a few feet away from me. Our job doesn't have to be dangerous but it is because of destracted drivers.
If you were driving on the highway and your tire blows as you are driving past a worker, or you veer off the road, if you are distracted are you going to be able to react in time to not hit them?
What if there is a flagman that has traffic stopped, if you didn't pay attention to the signs then you wouldn't know that traffic is stopped ahead of you.
Just in the past year I've heard 3 instances where that exact situation happened in me area. The flagman had traffic stopped, the inattentive driver didn't pay attention to the signs and slammed into the line of traffic. 2 out of the 3 were fatal, one of which was someone my wife knew. It was her baby that was only a few months old.
Just last night, 2 of my co-workers were setting up a lane closure. While they were setting it up there were 15 cars that drove through the big orange retro-reflective cones the were the beginning taper of the lane closure, no injuries. I have more stories but I'll leave it at that.
I know road construction can be annoying and cause delays but it needs to be done. They don't magically repair themselves. Roads and bridges that are failing and don't get repaired will cause a much bigger delay.
The point of this is ....pay attention while you are driving. There are lives at stake, maybe yours, maybe mine.
Thank you all for reading.
To meet a few people that would greatly appreciate your attentiveness on the roads please check out my intro post
https://steemit.com/intro/@bronxb17/hello-steemit
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Thanks for the upvote.
Can understand your worries. Sensible drivers are hard to find especially when you are working in the middle of a busy highway
They are definitely hard to find but they are out there. Thanks for your concern.
I see it all the time too, that is incredibley heartbreaking that little innocent lives have been taken. People are in such a hurry and into their own lives, phones, computers, etc (even on the road) that reality almost ceases to exist. Thank you for sharing your story, hopefully it will motivate people to pay attention, slow down, and show consideration to those around them.
It is heart breaking. Thank you for taking time out of your day to read it. We (road workers) appreciate people like you.
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