DOTD holds press conference at State Capitol to observe Work Zone Awareness Week
Monday, April 11, 2016 at 3:24:40 PM
BATON ROUGE, La. – Today, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development hosted a press conference at the Louisiana State Capitol to commemorate Work Zone Awareness Week, recognized this year on April 11-15, nationwide.
This year’s theme, “Don’t Be THAT Driver! Work on Safety. Get Home Safely. Every Day,” reinforces the message that motorists should be constantly alert and prepared for unexpected changes in and around work zones. DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson, Ph.D., along with Wes Bolinger, Division Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration, Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Executive Director John LeBlanc and Lt. JB Slayton, public information officer with the Louisiana State Police, emphasized the importance of driver awareness, safe maneuvering, and the perils of distracted driving.
“We are all here today with a common goal: To stress the importance of driving safely, especially through work zones,” Wilson said. “We believe this effort will help reduce the number of injuries and fatalities that occur on Louisiana’s roadways.”
In Baton Rouge, a safety cone memorial is displayed on the front lawn of the DOTD Headquarters building in recognition of those who lost their lives in work zones nationwide in 2014. Similar cone memorials are erected in other areas around the state. In 2014, 669 fatalities were recorded – 13 in Louisiana. The data gathered is the most recent year for which figures were available from the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
“What I find deeply troubling is that each of these fatalities and injuries was preventable,” Wilson said. “One life lost is one life too many.”
“With everyone’s help, we can reach destination zero deaths,” Bolinger said.
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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