TxDOT aims to get to ‘0 by 2050’ roadway fatalities, Abilene office explains Work Zone Awareness Week
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – As National Work Zone Awareness Week takes off, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is using a statewide campaign to encourage drivers to practice safer driving habits in work zones.
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Between 2022 and 2023, traffic fatalities in construction zones across Texas rose by 3%. Since November 7, 2000, Texas has not gone a single day without a fatality on its roadways.
Michael Wittie, Director of Construction for TxDOT in Abilene, said the ambition is to drastically decrease these statistics in the future.
“We’re trying to end deaths on our roadways, and we’re on a road to zero by 2050. That’s our goal. It’s an ambitious goal, but that starts right here with making people aware of driving safely in our work zones,” said Wittie.
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The general safety tips listed by TxDOT for motorists to follow when passing through a work zone are:
Match your speed to road conditions if there’s bad weather or you’re driving through a work zone.
Slow down and allow for more distance to stop when traffic is heavy or roads are slick.
Watch for road signs alerting you of reduced speed limits ahead.
Remember that fines double if you speed in a school zone or a work zone when workers are present.
Always buckle up. Drivers and passengers, day and night. It’s your best protection in a crash.
Sergeant Marc Couch with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is no stranger to grievous wrecks on our roadways and outlined a commonality for these types of wrecks in this area.
“To raise awareness is the main thing,” Sgt. Couch began. “A lot of those crashes to me, if I had to go back and really sift through the reports, are probably crashes of what they call ‘fail to control speed,’ where traffic backs up, somebody’s unaware of it, and then they end up plowing into the back of somebody else because they stopped abruptly.”
Sgt. Couch continued to explain how following the basic rules of the road can be imperative in situations like these, but also be courteous and aware of your fellow drivers- which can help you avoid escalating any traffic incident.
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