It's National Work Zone Awareness Week, and we're doing our part to keep our union brothers and sisters who work along the highways safe. National Work Zone Awareness Week, taking place this week April 15-19, is an annual event to remind motorists to be extra alert in work zones.
Will you join us in keeping our state and county OCSEA transportation brothers and sisters safe? See events below.
According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, so far this year, 43 ODOT crews have been struck while working along our roadways. That's nearly doubled since we reported on this chronic problem just this February in the winter edition of the OCSEA magazine. This compares to 56 ODOT crews hit all of last year, according to the agency. In all, last year, an astonishing 14 ODOT workers and nine contractors were injured in work zone crashes, with one contractor killed, sadly.
“We’ve always known the dangers associated with ODOT members working on our highways, no matter the season. But a rise in technology at our fingertips is increasing those dangers,” says Omar Parker, an ODOT Highway Technician 2 and Vice President of Cuyahoga Highway ODOT Chapter 1804. Omar remarkably avoided serious injury when his snow plow was hit earlier this year by a distracted driver along the highway in Cleveland. You can read his story HERE on page 3 of the union magazine.
"One of the biggest tips I have for drivers, if you have a breakdown or wreck, is to pull over as far to the side of the road as possible, if possible. So many secondary accidents happen because of vehicles blocking lanes and onlookers getting distracted," said ODOT HT 2 Donald Campbell who serves as OCSEA District 2 President and Chapter 5700 chief steward. "This is just one way we can cut down on multiple accidents and make sure our brothers and sisters come home safe to their families every night," he says.