Each cone represents the 898 individuals killed nationally in DOTD work zones during 2023 (photo: Andrew Greenstein/LRN)
With peak road construction season upon us, DOTD is urging you to please pay extra attention and use extra caution when going through work zones. This is National Work Zone Awareness Week; and this year’s theme is, “Respect the zone so we all go home.” Lisa Freeman, the executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, says construction workers are putting their lives on the line for the safety of the rest of us.
“We forget that these people, who are just a few feet from us, they’re working on our behalf. They’re making those bridges safer. They’re making those roads more navigable,” Freeman said.
State Police Colonel Robert Hodges says when you’re going through a construction zone, 100% of your attention and focus needs to be on driving safely.
“Take both hands and place them on the wheel, stop talking to other passengers in the vehicle, don’t (certainly) make a change on the radio station. Just stay focused, like you would do when there’s real heavy rain or it’s dark at night,” Hodges advised.
Police are out in full force looking for people driving dangerously through work zones. In Louisiana, all fines for moving violations within work zones are doubled. DOTD secretary Joe Donahue says depending on where you’re at, those fines could go up even more.
“There is legislation that’s been proposed this session to make that a fixed number because, currently, the law says it’s twice what the typical fine is. So, individual jurisdictions set their fines for traffic,” Donahue said.
In 2023, the latest year in which statistics are available, 14 people were killed in Louisiana work zones, with 898 killed nationwide.
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