DOTD District 02 to commemorate Work Zone Awareness Week
Friday, March 31, 2017 at 12:47:06 PM
NEW ORLEANS, La. – In observance of National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 3-7, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development District 02 and its safety partners will host a press conference on Tuesday, April 4, at 10 a.m., in the parking lot (weather permitting) of the Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC), located at 10 Veterans Boulevard, between West End and Pontchartrain Parkway.
In remembrance of the number of lives lost in work zone accidents, DOTD District 02 employees have erected a cone memorial on the lawn of the RTMC, including five representing the number Louisiana citizens who lost their lives. The figures are based on 2015 reports, the most recent available from the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
“Respect the men and women in construction who work on the highway each day to improve safety and transportation for the citizens of Louisiana,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “Their ‘offices’ are along busy highways and thoroughfares, and are much more dangerous than many of ours, so be mindful of that when you’re driving by.”
Additional statistics show that 419 people have died from motor-vehicle crashes in Louisiana’s work zones since 1982 and 696 injuries occurred in Louisiana work zones in 2015.
This year’s theme is “Work Zone Safety is in Your Hands,” and statewide activities will include safety talks at area schools, and contests for the best orange dessert and door/office space that best incorporates the theme. The agency will also be joining transportation departments across the country for Go Orange Day 2017 on April 5, in which employees will wear orange to promote safety. Those wishing to participate or follow along on social media can do so by using the hashtags #OrangeforSafety and #NWZAW.
Since 1999, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Federal Highway Administration and the American Traffic Safety Services Association have coordinated and sponsored National Work Zone Awareness Week.
For more information about Work Zone Awareness, visit www.destinationzerodeaths.com. For information on DOTD, please visit www.dotd.la.gov, email dotdcs@la.gov, or call DOTD’s Customer Service Center at (225) 379-1232 or 1-877-4LADOTD (1-877-452-3683). Business hours are 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Motorists can access up-to-date travel information by dialing 511 or by visiting www.511la.org. Out of-state travelers can call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511).
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www.dotd.la.gov