UPPER PENINSULA, Mich. (WJMN) – In an effort to improve work safety zones, the Michigan Work Zone Safety Task Force recently launched the Protect MI Work Zones pledge has launched a safety initiative using social media and other various platforms. The MI Work Zones Pledge is a way to raise awareness for work zone safety.
“It just takes a few minutes to read through and just think about your behavior when you’re on the road,” Dan Weingarten, with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) said. “It asks road users and that means people who drive, walk, or ride their bicycles through work zones to pledge that they’re going to give their full attention to their driving when they’re going through a work zone and eliminate distractions whenever possible. So no texting, tailgating, making phone calls, eating, or other behaviors that could take your attention off the road when you’re going through work.”
According to Weingarten, there were three unofficial deaths in works zones last year, one of those taking place in the Upper Peninsula.
“We all can become distracted with communication, technology and the entertainment options available in vehicles now, and just the general pace of life,” Weingarten said. “It’s easier than ever to get distracted by things that are going on. While you should be paying attention to where you’re driving, we need to remember that drivers, when they’re behind the wheel, are the number one safety feature of any vehicle. It’s our responsibility to drive safely and for many of the crashes, upwards of 90% of crashes are caused by some sort of driver error. So we can be major factors in making our roadways safer.”
To take the MI Work Zones Pledge click here
