Work Zone Safety

The Georgia DOT participates in a nationwide Work Zone Safety awareness and education campaign. This campaign is designed to educate highway construction and maintenance workers, contractors and the motoring public about the dangerous conditions in work zones. A key element of this campaign is to inform motorists that they are more likely to be killed or injured in work zone accidents than Georgia DOT employees or contract workers.

News

Date	Release
4/1/11	Atlanta: Georgia DOT Hosts Work Zone Safety Week Kick-Off

Work Zone Safety Week Observance Program (April 4, 2011)

Photos taken by Cedric Mohr, Georgia DOT

Georgia DOT Commissioner Vance C. Smith Jr. joined by FHWA Assistant Administrator (Georgia District) Bill Farr, State Senator and former State Transportation Board member Steve Gooch and Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Director Harris Blackwood made remarks at the annual observance program. Georgia Department of Transportation Engineers Association and Southeast Georgia construction engineer Will Murphy emceed the 30-minute program.

The Department displayed 57 orange warning cones memorializing Georgia DOT workers who were killed in work zones.

Programs and Presentations

For more information, contact Rick Parham at (404) 631-1829 or rparham@dot.ga.gov.

Why Work Zone Safety Education is Important

Georgia DOT employees honor fallen HERO Spencer Pass at his funeral in February 2011.

On January 31, 2011 the Georgia DOT suffered its 57th work zone fatality when HERO Highway Emergency Response Operator (HERO) Spencer Pass was killed while assisting a stranded motorist.

His death reinforces the Department’s focus on educating the public about proper driving behavior in work zones. The education effort also benefits motorists, who are at greater risk of harm in work zones (the general public accounts for 85 per cent of work zone fatalities nationwide). In Georgia alone, 32 motorists or their passengers died in work zone accidents in 2009.

Work Zone Safety PSA Video

View and download Georgia DOT's Work Zone Safety PSA video

Move Over Law

Georgia’s Move Over Law is a proven lifesaver, it’s common sense, and it has only two simple steps to remember:

The law requires drivers to move-over one lane if possible whenever an emergency vehicle of any kind is working on the side of the road displaying flashing blue, red, yellow or white emergency lights.
The Move-Over Law says if traffic is too congested to move over safely and there’s no room to move over, drivers must slow down, below the posted speed limit and be prepared to stop.

Georgia's Move Over Law