Every year, Colorado Springs Utilities embarks on hundreds of planned and emergency construction projects across our community.
With every construction zone comes equipment, workers, and even daily changes and alignment in the roads you are traveling. As a result, it is critical that you do your part to make the cone zones safe. Reduced speed limits, flaggers, and police enforcement are all used to help keep work zones safe, but motorists still need to drive responsibly to keep themselves and our workers safe.
Here are some work zone facts to put work zone safety into perspective:
- 4 out of 5 work zone fatalities are motorists
- One work zone fatality occurs nationwide every 7 hours (3 a day)
- One work zone injury occurs nationwide every 15 minutes
Since 2000, there have been more than six Colorado Department of Transportation construction worker deaths in cone zones. In 2007, Colorado Springs Utilities experienced several employees injured due to careless drivers. This could be your mother, father, brother or sister working in the cone zone trying to restore your utilities services as soon and as safely as possible. Please slow down and prevent an injury or fatality!
For your safety and the safety of our crews, consider these tips the next time you’re on the road, and help us prevent a cone zone from being a danger zone. Remember each worker is someone’s father, brother, son or daughter, we want them to return home safe every day.
- Slow down and obey the posted speed limits.
- Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
- Avoid using cell phones while driving in work zones.
- Do not tailgate; allow plenty of space between you and the car in front of you.
- Watch for workers and pedestrians.
- Follow instructions on the construction signs.
- Do not change lanes unnecessarily.
- Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.
- Flashing warning signs can be very distracting, be extra alert at night while driving in work zones.
- Avoid watching the work occurring behind the cones/barriers and keep your eyes alert to road conditions.
