April 3, 2000 (Release 00-052)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News Contact: Kim Stich, (785) 296-3585

Save your life, drive safely in work zones

About 550 highway construction and maintenance projects will be underway in Kansas at some point this year. The Kansas Department of Transportation urges motorists to pay special attention and drive carefully in highway work zones - it can be a matter of life and death.

In 1999, 14 people were killed in work zone accidents in Kansas. Highway construction work can be very dangerous, but 13 of those people killed in work zones were motorists. "It's so important that motorists use caution at all times, but especially in work zones," said Secretary of Transportation E. Dean Carlson. "The life you save could be your own."

There also were 747 people injured in work zone accidents in Kansas. "Vehicle accidents in highway construction zones are a serious public health problem," Secretary Carlson said. "During National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, we want to remind all motorists of the importance of driving safely all year long."

National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week is taking place April 3-7. The Kansas Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the United States Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), are dedicated to enhancing work zone safety for both the workers and the traveling public.