LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT), Arkansas State Police and highway police are all banding together to keep work zones safe—especially for construction workers.
In 2021, more than two thousand crashes happened in our state, resulting in 16 deaths.
ARDOT is hoping to raise awareness through their new "Slow Down, Phone Down" initiative.
"Slow down, phone down" are two simple things we all know, but don't always remember to do.
This new push comes after two recent ARDOT employee deaths in Arkansas work zones.
"This is going to be an emphasis all of 2022 and probably beyond," Ellen Coulter with the Arkansas Department of Transportation said.
The number of Arkansas work zone crashes and deaths continue to rise.
With the alarming statistic of 54 injuries and 16 lives lost last year alone, Ellen Coulter said one life is one too many.
"Our construction workers and the people that we contract with, they go out every day and they are risking their lives to do these jobs to keep our roads safe," Coulter said.
While ARDOT does what it can to keep its employees safe, Coulter emphasizes that roadside safety needs to be a partnership.
"We really need those drivers going through the work zones to do their part. Slow down, pay attention, and keep our workers safe," Coulter said.
So how can you keep workers and yourself safe when driving through these work zones? It’s all in the name.
"A part of the reason why we named this campaign 'slow down-phone down' is because that's the two most simple things you can do: slow down, watch your speed, eliminate the distractions," Coulter said.
ARDOT said this is not meant to be a “gotcha” campaign, but you will see more law enforcement in work zones along state highways.
The big takeaway with the initiative is to try and keep everyone safe.