WSDOT released a video this week that makes that reality impossible to ignore, and it is one of the better public safety messages I have seen in a while.
The video would be hard to watch, and then not slow down the next time you see orange work zone cones.
WSDOT Video Features Workers Return Home to Pets
WSDOT put together a simple montage of their road crews coming home to their dogs. No dramatic crash footage. No scary statistics thrown at you. Just workers walking through the door and getting the greeting only a dog can give.
The message underneath it is serious, though. These workers spend their shifts standing and working just inches from vehicles traveling at full highway speed. Too often, distracted, DUI, or speeding drivers crash through those work zones with real people in them.
As ALL DUI CRASHES, work zone crashes are preventable, and that point lands a lot harder when you just watched someone’s dog lose its mind with joy that they made it home.
The Rules Are Simple and Worth Repeating
Slow down in work zones. Stay alert and put the phone down. Give crews the space they need to do their job safely. Washington state law requires you to slow down and move over for roadside workers, and the fines for violations are significant.
WSDOT said it best themselves, these workers are parents, partners, and someone’s best friend.
They are not just orange vests on the side of the road. Give them the same respect you would give to your family working out there.
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Seahawks Celebrate 60 – Seattle, Washington
Gallery Credit: Aj Brewster