ALBANY — Imagine literally tons of metal blasting past you while you’re working in a highway work zone. Think of cars and tractor-trailers rocketing by with perhaps only a few feet and some orange plastic cones separating them from you.
Unfortunately, if and when something goes wrong, it takes very little to turn this everyday reality into a tragedy, taking the lives of CSEA members working to maintain our roads and highways.
That’s why our union is asking you to take action to improve work zone safety for your union sisters and brothers maintaining our roadways during the same month when we observe Workers Memorial Day and National Work Zone Awareness Week.
Sadly, we’ve lost 57 transportation workers to work zone crashes since 1983. CSEA has always been at the forefront of advocating for stronger measures to improve work zone safety. Anything we can do to slow down drivers around work zones can make the outcomes of these incidents less deadly.
Currently, our union is pushing the state legislature to pass a law that would add speed cameras to highway work zones to prevent injuries before they happen.
Work zone speed cameras have a proven record of success in states where they’ve been implemented. For example, Maryland saw an 80 percent reduction in speeding violations and a 50 percent drop in fatalities after implementing speed cameras.
This legislation will make a real difference to our highway workers and prevent future tragedies.
To join us in taking action, visit: https://cseany.org/workzonesafety
— Mark M. Kotzin
