Road safety campaign encourages drivers to take care around construction zones

The campaign, under the slogan “Respect the Zone So We All Get Home,” emphasizes the need to reduce speed, pay attention to road signs, avoid cell phone use, and yield to personnel and equipment working on the roads.

By The Star Staff

As part of National Construction Zone Safety Week, the Traffic Safety Commission (CST by its initials in Spanish) continues to reinforce its call to citizens to exercise greater caution when driving in areas where roads are under construction.

The event, which runs through this Friday, aims to educate and raise awareness about the risks faced by workers and drivers on roads under construction or repair.

CST Executive Director José “Memo” González Mercado participated this past Tuesday in the Official Proclamation ceremony held at the Engineers and Surveyors of Puerto Rico, along with the Transportation and Public Works (DTOP) Secretary Edwin González, Police Capt. Elvis Zeno, representatives from the Mayagüez Transfer Center, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Under the slogan: “Respect the Zone So We All Get Home,” the campaign emphasizes the need to reduce speed, pay attention to road signs, avoid cell phone use, and yield to personnel and equipment working on the roads.

“The call is clear: expect the unexpected,” González Mercado said. “In work zones, full attention behind the wheel is vital to avoid tragedies. At the CST, we join this national effort because protecting lives, both those of drivers and road workers, is a priority.”

He also emphasized the increasing relevance of the message.

“The large volume of infrastructure projects currently being developed by this administration -- especially through the DTOP, the Highway and Metro Authority -- makes this call for caution even more necessary,” the official said. “Work zones are and will continue to become more common, and with them, the risks increase if there is no awareness of the danger they represent.”

National Work Zone Safety Week was established in 1999 as a joint initiative of the FHWA, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the American Traffic and Safety Services Association. Its creation responded to the increase in accidents in road construction areas and seeks to encourage responsible driving.

Key messages highlighted throughout the week include: vehicles or equipment may unexpectedly enter lanes, road alignment may change, and cell phone use should be avoided while driving.