New York State law says drivers must slow down and move over for vehicles with flashing lights.
It applies to all vehicles with flashing lights, not just police cars or ambulances. The Department of Transportation is trying to remind motorists the law applies to construction vehicles with amber lights as well.
WCBS 880’s Sophia Hall On The Story
“Last year, there was 400 accidents in construction and maintenance work zones,” the state DOT’s Gary Barnable told Hall.
Barnable said there were five fatalities.
“One hundred of those accidents were on Long Island. So, [it’s] one of the leading areas where there’s work zone intrusions,” he said.
“If people could imagine their office in the middle of the Long Island Expressway, that’s what these people are doing. This is their office. This is where they work,” the state DOT’s Eileen Peters told Hall. “They want to go home safe, the same as each one of us want to go home safe every night. So, please pay attention. Slow down. Be alert.”
Hall visited a construction crew on the side of the Long Island Expressway and the workers told her it’s just plain scary when they see drivers speeding, talking on their cell phones, and not moving over.
“You’re out there and you’re sometimes 10, 15 feet from cars that are going by 70 miles per hour,” said Barnable.
Barnable had this message for drivers: “There’s all sorts of reasons, distractions. We ask people to get off their cell phones. Please slow down. Pay attention.”
(Source: WCBSTV)
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2 Responses
400 accidents in “construction zones” between other motorists, not construction workers. What do they expect when then do roving pothole repair at 9AM and block 2 lanes in the process- OFCOURSE THEY CREATE ACCIDENTS!!! I saw in another unrelated article that most fatalities in a construction zone were work related and not because of passing traffic.
#1 You are sorely missing the point. These are not pot hole repirs but rather major construction projects. I have seen ppl in rush hour for example using a closed lane to drive down with total lack of regard to the construction workers and yes even speeding non-rush hour with a lane closed. Construction does not create accidents as you put but rather inconsiderate drivers cause accidents and needless deaths. Think before you type JMHO.