California Addresses Construction Worker Safety
After four accidents happened in highway construction areas, safety officials in CA are reevaluating road construction and distracted driving
Over a three-day span in September, 15 people in California were injured as a result of highway crashes, according to an article from The Sacramento Bee. The accidents—which injured Caltran workers, cleanup crewmembers and a highway patrol officer—were a result of a combination of construction and distracted driving.
The fifteen injuries occurred in four different crashes, and state officials are dedicating their time to reminding drivers to move with precaution in a construction area.
One incident occurred when a private vehicle crashed into a Caltran vehicle that had stopped for road workers to remove a deer—four people were injured. Another incident occurred when a contractor who was flagging was hit by a vehicle that was swerving to avoid hitting a car in a construction zone. The third accident was a result of a vehicle rear-ending a CHP vehicle, and the fourth occurred when a big rig drove into a construction area, injuring eight.
According to the article, a spokesman from Caltran said that in addition to distracted driving in construction areas, cell phone use is of big concern.
For more information about the four incidents and current laws regarding driving in California construction zones, visit: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/25/5768916/four-california-cone-zone-crashes.html