Work Zone Press Conference Highlights Safety

On Tuesday, April 8, Southwest District Engineer Becky Baltz, MoDOT Chief Engineer Ed Hassinger and Highway Patrol Lieutenant Dan Bracker gathered in Springfield to talk to reporters about work zone awareness at MoDOT's statewide news conference.

Baltz opened the press conference by thanking MoDOT's partners and all the highway workers represented.  In addition to MoDOT and the highway patrol, local public works departments, emergency response, and law enforcement were on hand to support the cause. She asked that motorists watch out for everyone who helps keep Missouri moving, so everyone can go home safely each night.

Ed Hassinger and Lt. Bracker took the opportunity to talk about Missouri's "Move Over Law". The law requires motorists to move over one lane and give extra room whenever they see emergency or roadwork vehicles on the side of the road with flashing lights on.
"The law is simple," Hassinger said. "If you see a vehicle with flashing lights on, move over and give some room. If you can't move over, you are required to slow down and proceed cautiously past the vehicles and workers."

Lt. Bracker said that in 2013, the Missouri State Highway Patrol spent almost 1,800 hours on construction work zone enforcement operations. They made 569 arrests and issued 637 warnings.

"The Missouri state Highway Patrol is committed to providing the safest possible highway transportation system for everyone who uses our highways, builds our highways and maintains our highways," said Bracker. "We will continue to make work zone enforcement one of our top priorities throughout the year."

Hassinger also discussed the future of transportation and how lack of transportation funding will change Missouri's work zones.

"MoDOT's focus is increasingly on preservation of the existing transportation system," he said. "By 2017 our budget will fall well under what it takes to maintain what we've got, and that could lead to the deterioration of highways across the state."

Regardless of the work taking place, the most important message of the day was safety. When motorists pay attention and drive with caution through work zones, that means fewer crashes, fewer fatalities, and fewer injuries. Drivers play a key role in making work zones safe for everyone - especially themselves.

Work Zone Safety - From a Widow's Perspective

A plea - from the wife of Dennis Beard, who was killed in an Illinois work zone in 2012. Let her words sound in your ears any time you see construction or flashing yellow lights.


This (click to see photos) is my husband, Dennis. The most important part of his life was his family and friends. Second was his work. Dennis was very passionate about his work, the people who worked for him, and their safety and well being. On May 22nd Dennis, his nephews Kory Links and Adam Evans, and his friend Brian Moore were all struck by a vehicle while doing their jobs. Dennis was killed by this driver whom was driving dangerously and erratically at a high rate of speed in a construction zone. Dennis was not killed instantly, but lived a very short while, alert and thinking he was going to survive. Because of one person's negligence, Dennis' precious life was taken from us and the lives of his family have been changed forever.

I cannot explain the devastation this has caused our family. We lost our dear Dennis - a husband, a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a great-uncle, a cousin, and a friend to many, many people. If you just try to imagine what it would be like to have to come home and tell your children who walk in the door smiling that their dad was just killed at work - you would think about how IMPORTANT it is to pay attention and slow down in work zones. Our family will never be the same because of the constant pain we feel and the huge hole we now have in our family and hearts.

Please let me tell you a little bit about Dennis. Most importantly, Dennis was not ready to leave this earth. He had many things left unfinished. He has three children - Tessa age 12, James 8, and Alayna 4. He just recently involved his children and nephews in go-kart racing. Dennis spent every waking hour outside of work working on the go-karts for the next following week’s race. He loved the outdoors and wanted his kids to love it too. He took them boating, camping, hunting, snowmobiling, four-wheeling, racing, and most recently they began fishing together. Dennis had a big heart and was always very giving to everyone he knew and met.

The single most important thing that you can do for our family and other families who have loved ones working on the roads is to be patient, pay attention, and slow down in construction zones. Everyone wants their loved ones to return home every single day from work. My husband left for work and was gone from this earth three hours later. We didn’t even have a chance to say good bye.

Sincerely,
Josie Beard

See pictures of Dennis, Josie and their family here.

In His Own Words: Help Us Make it Home

Clifton Scott's story is riveting. 

Clifton worked for MoDOT a long time, starting with our highway crews. He was very upset by a work zone crash that occurred in 2001 and in an interview with KMBC TV- 9 of Kansas City, he issued a plea to motorists.

Last fall, as he worked the scene of a crash as a Motorist Assist operator, a speeding driver struck and killed Clifton. 

His haunting words serve as a reminder. 

When you see a highway worker - or a utility crew member, law enforcement, tow truck operators or anyone else rendering service on or near a road - pay extra attention. Take extra care. 

Do it out of kindness. Do it because you respect their service. Do it because you know that they, like you, just want to make it home.

Scootch for Safety

That cheer you heard the afternoon of July 9 came from the 2,400 MoDOT employees who regularly work on Missouri highways.

Governor Jay Nixon signed Senate Bill 611 into law. This law goes into effect August 28 and expands the 2002 “Slow Down and Move Over” statute that protects law enforcement and emergency response vehicles parked on the side of the road.

So come next month, motorists must slow down or change lanes when approaching MoDOT vehicles parked on the side of the highway with amber and white lights flashing – just like we drivers already do when there’s an ambulance, Patrol, police or sheriff’s car on the shoulder.




With the drastic drop in MoDOT’s construction budget, my coworkers are pretty much in a maintenance-only mode. It’s likely you’ll see more crews next to or on the road as they attempt to take care of Missouri’s existing system of highways and bridges, rather than building new lanes and structures.

Let’s do them a favor. The law takes effect in late August. How about we spend the next several weeks practicing?

When you see a MoDOT vehicle on the side of the highway, either change lanes or slow down. You’ll be doing your part to help hard-working folks get home in one piece.

And to those of you who have always moved over or slowed for MoDOT workers – or anyone on the shoulder – we noticed. We appreciate your concern for our safety and thank you.