CALTRANS ROLLS OUT HIGHWAY WORK ZONE SAFETY

Caltrans will introduce its "Slow for the Cone Zone" safety campaign at a news conference Thursday at 2 p.m. near the 237/880 interchange in the Presidential Suite, Room 1233, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 777 Bellew Drive, Milpitas.

Hoping to reduce accidents in highway construction and maintenance zones, Caltrans will target audiences in the San Francisco Bay Area and central coast of California with a clear message to slow down, stay alert and use great caution in the cone zone.

In the last 5 years, in California, there have been 30,000 collisions, 16,000 injuries and nearly 300 deaths due to inattentive drivers crashing in highway work zones.

"Safety is our highest priority. We need the public's attention and help in preventing accidents in work zones," said Director José Medina.

The centerpiece of the campaign is a commercial, featuring a distracted driver slamming his automobile into a piece of highway construction equipment.

As glass shatters and metal distorts, viewers are reminded of the dangers they face when they ignore the orange cones that outline a work zone. As if a further warning were needed, the narrator dramatically reminds motorists, "Slow for the Cone Zone".

The public awareness campaign attempts to tell motorists, "Excuse our dust, we are making improvements to your highway. Public safety is a primary concern so we are taking this opportunity to introduce the Work Zone Safety Campaign.

Caltrans Director José Medina will speak at the event. Representatives will be on hand from the offices of Senator Liz Figueroa, District 10; Representative John Dutra, District 20; Henry Manayan, Mayor of Milpitas. The California Office of Traffic Safety, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and The California Trucking Association will be on hand to demonstrate support for this important safety message.

"This highway work zone safety message is designed to save the lives of numerous travelers as well as both Caltrans and contractor employees. The message is powerful and compelling and will serve to remind the driving public to use caution in the cone zone," Medina said.

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