West Virginia Department of Transportation State Highway Engineer Jacob Bumgarner spoke April 24 at the West Virginia Welcome Center near Williamstown to remember the 58 WVDOT highway workers who have lost their lives on the job.
West Virginia Department of Transportation State Highway Engineer Jacob Bumgarner spoke April 24 at the West Virginia Welcome Center near Williamstown to remember the 58 WVDOT highway workers who have lost their lives on the job.
West Virginia highway officials want drivers to remember that the people who work on the roads around the state are people with families they want to go home to every night.
The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) held a memorial ceremony on April 24 for the 58 state highway workers who have lost their lives on the job at the West Virginia Fallen Workers Memorial at the West Virginia Welcome Station near Williamstown just off of Interstate 77.
The ceremony was held in conjunction with National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week.
“We all want to raise awareness of every driver’s responsibility in every work zone every time,” said WVDOT Spokesperson Jennifer Dooley. “Every time you drive through any work zone, heads up, phones down, attention on the road and follow the speed limit.
“This memorial means a lot to every Department of Transportation worker in West Virginia. Many of us know somebody with a name on that memorial.”
Here are more safety tips for motorists, as listed on the transportation.wv.gov website:
Obey the posted speed limit
Stay alert
Put down your phone. It’s the law!
Don’t tailgate. Follow other vehicles at a safe distance.
Expect the unexpected. Workers, vehicles, or equipment may enter your lane without warning.
Be patient. It takes only an few extra seconds more to travel at the 10-15 mph reduced speed through work zones.
Check the WV511 Traveler Information System for information on work zones and real-time traffic information.
According to WVDOT figures, there have been 1,794 crashes reported in West Virginia work zones over the past five years. Those crashes resulted in a total of 15 fatalities, 509 injuries and 1,270 reports of personal property damage.
