National Work Zone Awarness Week

El Paso,Texas- It’s National Work Zone Awarness Week. The spring campaign is held every year, to encourage safe driving through highway work zones.
The Texas Department of Transportation says the two leading causes of crashes in work zones are drivers who do not pay attention and drivers who speed.

According to TxDot last year 146 people were killed in work zone crashes on Texas roadways. Eighty percent of those people killed were motorist,and 12 percent were pedestrians walking or riding a bike.

District Engineer Bob Bielek says in Texas there are usually 25,000 work zones in operation.
Bielek says “in a work zone you should never exceed over 45 miles per hour because of uneven pavement, concrete barriers and narrow lanes”.

Bielk says a car moving at 50 mph is moving 88 feet per second. “think about looking down if you’re texting or you’re seeing what kind of message you just received. If it takes you two seconds, or three seconds you’ve moved almost a football field in length.”

Over the next 4 1/2 years the El Paso roadways will be going through numerous changes, Bielek says. He ask for all motorist to be patient, pay attention and slow down.

Twitter takes notice of those who risk their lives on Texas roadways during National Work Zone Awareness Week:
https://twitter.com/search?q=Txtdot&src=typd