To remind motorists to be alert and obey speed limits, Gov. Mike Easley has proclaimed April as Work Zone Safety Awareness Month. Getting drivers to slow down and drive safely through North Carolina's highway work zones is critical in protecting motorists and construction workers alike.

"Four out of five people killed in work zones are motorists, and more than half of all work zone crashes are attributed to speeding and driver inattention," said Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett. "Drivers should slow down and pay attention in work zones to protect themselves and our workers."

Nearly 2,000 people were injured and 18 people were killed in work zone crashes in 2006 in North Carolina. In conjunction with Work Zone Safety Awareness Month, the N.C. Department of Transportation is partnering with the N.C. State Highway Patrol to increase enforcement in highway construction areas across the state. The penalty for speeding in a work zone in North Carolina is $250.

The NCDOT Work Zone Safety Program aims to significantly reduce the number of work zone fatalities and injuries in North Carolina. To accomplish this, NCDOT partners with other state agencies and transportation industry members to educate motorists about the risks associated with driving through work zones. These educational activities include the distribution of video packages to driver education classrooms across the state, an outreach program targeting the professional trucking industry and appearances by the program mascots Buddy Barrel and Connie Cone at public events.

On average, there are more than 200 major work zones across the state at any given time.  Work zones are not limited to interstate highways; road construction and maintenance activity often affects U.S. routes, N.C. routes and secondary roads as well.

NCDOT offers the following tips to motorists:

• Stay alert;
• Obey posted speed limits and do not speed;
• Minimize distractions; and
• Expect the unexpected.

To learn more about work zone safety in North Carolina, visit the NCDOT Work Zone Safety Program's Web site at www.ncdot.org/~workzone or call the NCDOT ITS Operations Unit at (919) 233-9331.

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