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Press Release -- April 1, 2008
Second Statue Vested as Part of DelDOT Safety Campaign
Work Zone Safety Awareness Campaign Now Swings into High Gear
Wilmington --
Visitors to Frawley Stadium, home to the Wilmington Blue Rocks will witness a new uniform adorning the statue of baseball legend Judy Johnson. His new attire is a Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) safety vest, part of the public awareness campaign currently underway by DelDOT stressing the importance of work zone safety. The "vesting" of baseball great and the first African American to be admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame, marks another phase of the campaign.
Last week, kicking off the awareness campaign in front of the City of Wilmington's Caesar Rodney statue naming April Work Zone Safety Awareness Month, Transportation Secretary Carolann Wicks announced that the bright-colored work zone safety vest which then adorned the Caesar Rodney statue would be one of several public landmarks throughout Delaware that will get similarly "vested."
"The advertising campaign is about more than catchy logos and creative phrases," said DelDOT Secretary Carolann Wicks. "It's about keeping roadway workers and motorists safe. Working in the roadway is not for the faint-hearted, nor for the thin-skinned. Our men and women must be vigilant every second they are on the job, so we ask that motorists also be vigilant as they approach these zones."
"The losses, serious injuries and close calls occur far too often," said Wicks. "Our workers have families to go home to. This campaign helps remind us of the dangers of the work zone for motorists and workers, and we hope the end result will be fewer incidents overall."
Darrel Cole, DelDOT Director of Public Relations said, "We're going to keep it a surprise where the work zone vest will pop up next. With our month long campaign, we're using humor to drive home a very serious point; work zone safety is critically important, important, not only to those who work on the roads, but to those who travel it as well. Delaware Stadium Corporation is the group who has allowed us access to place the vest on the statue. The fact that our safety message is being embraced by the Blue Rocks and the City of Wilmington, who allowed us to place the vests, means much to our employees."
Since 1933 DelDOT has lost 32 workers in the line of duty, from bus drivers to maintenance workers. This includes three deaths in 2006, one occurring when a motorist assistance patrol worker who was pulled over to assist a motorist was struck and killed by an inattentive driver. The DelDOT employee was a husband and father of two.
When traveling through a work zone, please pay careful attention to the traffic control devices present.
1. When you see the "orange and black," please be extra cautious.
2. Warning signs will let you know what to expect.
3. Drums or cones will delineate your path of travel.
4. Flag persons will help direct you along the way.
5. Slow down and expect the unexpected.
The Work Zone Safety Campaign is the first of a three-part education campaign that will stretch out over the next year. The other components, which will launch later this year, focus on pedestrian and neighborhood safety. This three-pronged education effort is being funded with approximately $500,000 in new federal money that may be used for education purposes. DelDOT's target areas were identified in a September 2006 Strategic Highway Safety Plan, a cooperative multi-agency plan for improving safety and reducing fatalities on Delaware's highways. The goals of this campaign are to save lives; motorists, pedestrians and the men and women who work at and for DelDOT. RT&E Integrated Communications of Wilmington is working with DelDOT on the campaign.
For more information contact DelDOT Public Relations at (302)760-2080.
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