State leaders to take steps to improve work zone safety following deadly I-695 crash
BALTIMORE (WBFF) — As the Summer travel season is set to kick off with hundreds of thousands of drivers hitting the roads, state leaders announced the next step in their plan to improve safety for crews working on the side of the roads.
In a press conference Wednesday, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, announced the first meeting for the Work Zone Safety Workgroup is scheduled for June 1.
Last month, Governor Wes Moore announced the creation of the group -- which will be chaired by the lieutenant governor -- after six Marylanders were hit and killed while working a construction site on Maryland roads in March.
The crash happened on I-695 in Baltimore when a driver lost control and crashed the site.
“Six lives instantly ended and their families and loved ones’ lives altered forever,” said Lt. Governor Miller.
She added that since that March 22 crash, there have been an additional 145 crashes at work sites on Maryland state roads.
“This is why Governor Moore and I are acting with a great sense of urgency. The Work Zone Safety Group will identify ways to improve driver awareness around work zones, prioritize work zone safety and training, and strengthen our laws to address aggressive distracted, and intoxicated motorists,” said Lt. Governor Miller.
The Work Zone Safety Workgroup will be made up of industry leaders, safety experts, labor leaders, and members of the road construction industry.
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Lt. Governor Miller, herself, spent 25 years working as a transportation engineer, sometimes joining teams on construction sites.
“I personally know the tireless and challenging work that the men and women in the highway construction industry provide every day while placing themselves in harm’s way,” she said.
The Work Zone Safety Workgroup will meet as many times as necessary to make improvements to safety according to Lt. Governor Miller.
In the meantime, she asked drivers to do their part to keep roadways safe by slowing down near construction zones and obeying the Move Over Law which requires you to move over a lane when you see any vehicle stopped with flashing lights on the side of the road.
“Wherever you’re trying to get to and as quickly as you’re trying to get to it, keep in mind, that these individuals have families, loved ones, and they place themselves in danger every day while taking care of infrastructure that protects us.”
