Law enforcement agencies will be present at road construction projects throughout Central Florida on Thursday, April 6, to help remind motorists of the importance of driving safely through work areas. The coordinated enforcement effort is part of the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) National Work Zone Awareness Week campaign.
The theme for this year’s campaign is Work Zone Safety is in Your Hands. Speeding and distracted driving are leading factors in work zone crashes, and the FDOT and its law enforcement partners want all motorists to slow down as soon as they see orange warning signs and to remain alert for changing road conditions.
The agencies participating in Thursday’s Law Enforcement Day are the Cocoa Beach Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, Kissimmee Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Melbourne Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and St. Cloud Police Department.
“We truly appreciate the efforts of our law enforcement partners to help keep Central Florida motorists and our employees safe in road construction areas,” said Alan Hyman, FDOT District Five Director of Operations. “We know it takes a coordinated effort if we are to reach our goal of zero work zone crashes in Central Florida.”
National Safety Council reports in its 2017 edition of “Injury Facts” that there were 35,500 injuries from work zone crashes in 2015.
In the Central Florida region, FDOT District Five has approximately $1.7 billion worth of work going on in 2017 including the I-4 Ultimate project, Wekiva Parkway and the I-95 Major Interchange project.
The FDOT urges all drivers to slow down, stay alert to changing conditions and warning signs, obey the posted speed limit, and keep a safe distance between vehicles. Drivers may participate in the safety campaign via social media by sharing what drives them to stay safe using the hashtag #WhatDrivesYou.
