Spring in central New York means road construction season is ramping up, and state Department of Transportation officials want to remind drivers to keep in mind the safety of construction workers as they drive through work zones.
Standing near a crew filling potholes, DOT employee Ryan Kelly admits that working steps away from speeding cars and trucks can be very scary.
"I love my position here, I love the work I do, but it is definitely you don't want to take any day for granted," said Kelly.
Even though there are signs and flags and flashing lights, Kelly said he’s seen drivers careen in between the bright orange cones and into a work zone, recalling an incident in Marcellus last year.
"We had our proper flaggers set up, one flag on each end of the zone," he said. "And a car, I don't know if they weren't paying attention or what, but they swerved into the cones, hit a cone, and almost hit one of my colleagues. And we weren't able to stop them or anything. They just kept on moving."
It happens all across the state. Last year, 366 vehicles drove into work zones in New York, killing two people and injuring 58. DOT Regional Director Elizabeth Parmley said the state is doing more to try and stop these incursions. They're increasing the number of automated work zone speed cameras, including safety vehicles called attenuator trucks at the beginning of every work zone. But the most important may be a plea to the public.
"Give these workers the respect they deserve," Parmley said. "Slow down, put your phone down, move over. Remember, behind every cone, behind every barrel is a father, a mother, a sister, a brother, an aunt, an uncle, a friend. And we want them all to go home at the end of the day."
