SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In 2022, 101 people died and 323 were seriously injured in California work zones, according to Caltrans. These numbers include highway workers and other people involved in work zone crashes or incidents.
Max Alvarado is a maintenance manager in Sacramento and he’s worked in numerous work zones throughout his two decades with Caltrans.
"You know, it's actually very scary to work on the side of the freeway. You come out here every day, and to be honest with you, you don't know if you’re going to go home at the end of the day. A lot of the time they are so close, and like I said, trucks go by doing 50-60 miles an hour. They blow your hard hat off, sometimes they hit the cones, and sometimes they even come into our lane closures," said Alvarado.
That’s why Caltrans is asking people to ‘Be Work Zone Alert’ — to protect you and those working along our local freeways.
Wayne Wilson is the Safety Campaign Manager with Caltrans and says you'll know when you’re in a work zone because they're marked by utility barriers, pavement marking, signs, cones, or amber lights.
"If you are driving through a work zone and you see those flashing amber lights, slow down, if it's safe to do so please move over. Eliminate distractions and proceed with caution when going through any work zone when you see those flashing amber lights. It’s imperative and it is the law," said Wilson.
Alvarado says there’s not much separating them from cars, just k-rail or cones. He’s seen all types of distracted driving on the job.
"Some of the things we're seeing is people texting and driving, driving with their knees, trying to read newspapers, trying to do makeup. We see all kinds of things and they're not paying attention to the construction zones," said Alvarado.
It's about safety for drivers and highway workers.
"It’s why we’re out here, you know, trying to tell drivers to slow down, pay attention, and just allow yourself enough time," said Alvarado.
In addition to it being dangerous, speeding through a work zone can also be costly.
Wilson says penalties and fines double in work zones, so if you're caught speeding, you could end up paying over a thousand dollars and your insurance could go up, too.
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