By KATHY MELLOTT
CESSNA — In 2006, there were 75 vehicles crashes across the region resulting in two deaths in highway work zones, figures state police and PennDOT officials hope they can reduce by calling for motorists to slow down.
“Beware of the Cone Zone,” is the theme of this year’s work zone safety effort.
It is part of a national campaign developed by the Federal Highway Administration in an effort to reduce crashes, most of which injure or kill the drivers and passengers rather than the highway workers, said Pam Kane, PennDOT’s safety press officer.
“People go through a work zone, they get frustrated and get aggressive,” Kane said during a work-zone demonstration on Interstate 99 on Wednesday. “Most of the crashes don’t take out work-zone workers. It’s the people driving through that get hurt.”
“We’re urging people to be patient. We think impatience is worse than speed, because people make bad decisions that cause hazards,” said Roger Dodson, PennDOT’s assistant district executive for construction.
He urged caution through all work sites, but pointed out the need to pay extra attention when work is being done on the four-lane highways where people are driving faster.
“We have several sections of I-99 we’re working on, and there is work on Route 22 in the Ebensburg area,” Dodson said. “We also have a number of bridges where there is work and there is a lot of secondary road work.”
State police work closely with PennDOT and provide well-marked, manned cruisers at many work sites where speeding and aggressive driving are problems, public information officer Trooper David McGarvey said.
“There are PennDOT and contract workers working very close to the road,” he said.
