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NEWS RELEASE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PENNSYLVANIA TRANSPORTATION, CONSTRUCTION GROUPS PARTNER
TO WARN DRIVERS OF DANGERS OF DISTRACTED WORK-ZONE DRIVING
Personal Stories to be Shared by Impacted Work Zone Employees.
HARRISBURG, PA (APRIL 2, 2019) — Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), The
Associated Pennsylvania Constructors (APC) and Flagger Force Traffic Control Services® hosted
an event today to kick-off National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW). The event, held at
PTC headquarters, highlighted the importance of work-zone safety across the commonwealth,
shedding light on the increasing effects of distracted driving on work-zone employees and
motorists.
Speakers included PTC Commissioner John N. Wozniak, PTC CEO Mark Compton, PTC
Equipment Operator Mike Kates, Associated Pennsylvania Constructors Executive Vice President
Robert Latham, Flagger Force Executive Vice President, COO and Co-Founder Mike Doner and
Flagger Force Field Specialist Jackie McVey. Each speaker shared experiences and important
messages about the dangers of speeding and distracted driving through work zones. Attendees
were encouraged to visit www.idriveorange.com to pledge to drive the posted speed limit in all
work zones.
During his comments, Commissioner Wozniak — a former state senator who was chair of the
Senate Transportation Committee — noted that there are catastrophic consequences when
people choose to speed through work zones.
“As construction season starts, we remind drivers that we have real people working in
highway construction zones — people like you who want to make it home to their families at the
end of the day,” Wozniak said. “For the sake of our workers, we urge all motorists to obey the
posted speed limit signs and be aware of the presence of workers.”
APC’s Latham noted that highway workers are laboring to make the commonwealth’s roads
safer and smoother for travelers, and motorists can show workers their gratitude by slowing down
and avoiding distractions while travelling through what is essentially someone’s workplace.
“Being a highway construction worker is an important but dangerous job. These are men and
women are literally working inches from passing traffic, and we urge drivers to be cognizant of
that,” Latham said. “The fact is that unsafe work-zone driving also impacts drivers and
passengers too, and that alone should be reason enough to ‘Drive Like You Work Here.’”
Mike Doner from Flagger Force, an industry-leader in temporary traffic control services across
the Mid-Atlantic region, discussed how work zones are important to improving the aging
infrastructure in our communities.
“Although work zones may seem like an inconvenience to your normal commute, they are
necessary to keep our communities moving. When you see a work zone area, it means that your
community’s infrastructure is improving,” Doner added, “In 2018, 97 percent of our employees
reported witnessing distracted driving such as texting and driving or looking down to turn the radio
dial, in their work zones. We want to urge all motorists to slow down and stay alert while driving
their vehicles.”
Flagger Force field specialist Jackie McVey, who recently had a “near-miss” incident while
actively monitoring a work zone in central Pennsylvania, shared her story, “I remember
immediately thinking just how incredibly lucky I was. Had my colleague and I been just a couple
steps forward we would have been struck by the car. I can’t imagine the impact that would have
had on my one-year old son and his future.”
Turnpike CEO Compton reminded drivers of a new law that takes effect later this year allowing
the PA Turnpike and PennDOT to conduct speed-enforcement operations inside work zones and
maintenance (cone) patterns using automated speed-detection technology. He said the system
will generate speeding violations to the registered owners of offending vehicles.
“Violation notices will be mailed to the registered owner if the vehicle is traveling 11 mph or
more over the posted speed limit in a work zone,” Compton explained. “The first violation will be a
written warning, the second will be a $75 fine and the third and all subsequent violations will be a
$150 fine.”
National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is an annual national campaign that is
designed to encourage safe driving through work zones. This year’s theme is “Drive Like You
Work Here.” Research shows in 2017, there were 132 national work zone fatalities, according to
WorkZoneSafety.org.
For information about NWZAW and the event, visit FlaggerForce.com/Safety.
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