UDOT touting increased driver safety in work zones

DRAPER — A few years ago, Mark Rawlins was managing a construction project along I-215 at 1 a.m. He was closing off a lane when he noticed two semitrailers "dueling" down the freeway.

"One (driver) wouldn't let the other one over, then the closest (truck) to me came through the barrels and hit them as I dove out of the way," he said. "He hit a barrel and it smacked me in the back and knocked me flat on my face."

Rawlins, an operations manager for Wadsworth Brothers Construction, said fortunately he suffered only bruising, but "the scars of that night have never left." He said the truck drivers never stopped.

"They just kept on going."

Incidents like that bring into clear focus the danger of working in road construction zones. And with more than 150 projects this year, the Utah Department of Transportation is launching a new effort to raise driver awareness about driving safely in work zones.

Last year, there were 2,849 motor vehicle crashes in Utah work zones, resulting in 10 deaths. Fortunately, there have been no fatalities in Utah work zones in 2016.

The Federal Highway Administration reported that speeding was a factor in 29 percent of all fatal work zone crashes in 2014 nationwide, while distracted driving contributed to 16 percent.

“We are doing everything we can to keep our work zones safe for those who travel through them and those who work in them. But there’s only so much we can do. We need the public’s help,” said UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras. “Slow down, put down the phone, be alert and obey the laws — especially when driving through a work zone.”

Rawlins said that the average speed in the area where he was injured was 20 miles above the 55 miles per hour posted work zone speed limit, putting him and others in danger.

“I hate to say that (some drivers) don’t care, but sometimes it actually feels like that when they drive like that,” he said.

The goal is to work well and provide for their families, and to get through the workday safely so they can make it home.

“I have two daughters at home and they just want to see me in the morning,” he said.

Excessive speed and distracted driving are among the biggest concerns for workers in construction zones, according to Steve Checketts, operations manager for A-Core Concrete Cutting — a contractor on The Point project in Draper,

The $252 million project is designed to improve mobility and reduce congestion along a seven-mile stretch of I-15 between northern Utah County and Draper, specifically from state Road 92 to 12300 South.

“It is very dangerous,” he said. “If everyone is not paying proper attention and keeping proper spacing between each other, it can be extremely dangerous.”

He said workers are advised to remain aware of their surroundings at all times.

“Keeping your head on a swivel and watching your fellow worker’s back,” Checketts said. “We’ve had workers killed in constructions zones.”

As an added precaution, The Point project requires every employee to participate in weekly safety training, he said. Also, to further protect the nearly 1,500 employees from traffic, crews have placed more than 24 miles of concrete barrier — 50 percent more than required — to provide a safer work zone for employees, UDOT said in a news release.

UDOT tips on driving safely in work zones

• Driving the posted speed limit.
• Paying 100 percent attention to the roadway, as lanes are often narrowed and shifted for construction.
• Eliminating distracting activities, such as changing radio/music, using mobile devices (surfing, tweeting, talking, texting), eating and drinking, putting on makeup, and reaching while driving.
• Minimizing lane changes within the work zone.
• Merging into the proper lane well before reaching a lane closure.
• Watching out for workers and their equipment in the work zone, as they can be especially hard to see at night.

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