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Press Release -- April 24, 2008
Legislators Vested
House Transportation Committee wears the road worker vests to bring awareness to work zone safety
Dover --
Members of the State House Transportation, Land Use and Infrastructure Committee became the latest to be "vested," part of the Delaware Department of Transportation's effort to bring public awareness of work zone safety.
The vesting of the 10 committee representatives (including Chair Donald Blakey, Vice-Chair Gregory Lavelle, Gerald Hocker, Gregory Hastings, Nick Manolakos, William Outten, Pamela Thornburg, Gerald Brady, William J. Carson and Robert Walls) on April 23, 2008 is one part of a public awareness campaign currently underway by DelDOT, which has declared April as Work Zone Safety Awareness Month.
Transportation committee members jumped at the chance to enhance their wardrobes.
Representative Donald Blakey, Chair of the House Transportation, Land Use and Infrastructure Committee, said, "We'll surely get some double-takes wearing these colorful vests, but the point is that road safety is serious business and no laughing matter. We know that the work done by DelDOT employees and contractors in the roadway is difficult work and challenging. We are pleased to wear the vests today to raise awareness about the dangers of the work zone to motorists and workers."
DelDOT Secretary Carolann Wicks said she is appreciative of the legislative support because it will bring more awareness to the issue of safety. "We have always talked about safety being our number one priority, and that will not changed. But what the public often forgets is that safety is a two-way street and they have a role to play in keeping our workers safe as they travel through work zones."
Legislators joined many others supporting DelDOT's education effort. Most recently, the City of New Castle Council agreed to be vested for a day, and assisted in the vesting of the William Penn statue in Old New Castle. Previously, the City of Wilmington allowed the vesting of the Caesar Rodney statue, and most recently the Delaware Stadium Corporation allowed the vesting of the statue of baseball legend Judy Johnson at Frawley Stadium.
The "Vesting" of Delaware will continue in April, but just where the work zone vest will pop up next will remain a mystery.
The reason for work zone safety education is simple. 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.
* When you see the "orange and black," please be extra cautious.
* Warning signs will let you know what to expect.
* Drums or cones will delineate your path of travel.
* Flag persons will help direct you along the way.
* 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 live...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.
"Hey! We're working here!"
April is Delaware's Work Zone Safety Awareness Month
www.deldot.gov
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