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Transportation Cabinet
TRANSPORTATION SAFETY INITIATIVES UNVEILED - Cabinet Announces New SAFE Patrol Routes & High Visibility Apparel for Construction Workers
Frankfort, KY – (May 9, 2006) – Ever been stranded on the side of the road—out of gas, car overheated or some other problem—and you keep looking in the rear view mirror hoping and praying that someone will come to your aid. Even if a vehicle does pull over--who are they? Should you trust them?
Now FREE and trustworthy help is available to motorists traveling on interstates across the Commonwealth. In October 2004, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet launched the Safety Assistance for Freeway Emergencies (SAFE) patrol program that provides courtesy van service to assist stranded motorists and keep the highways open. For more than a year, the SAFE patrol vans have been operating on I-64 in central Kentucky and on I-75 in south-eastern Kentucky. Today, the Transportation Cabinet announced that there are now additional SAFE patrol services available at more locations throughout the state. All routes include:
•I-65 from the Tennessee state line to Exit 58 at Horse Cave (Mon. – Fri. 5:00 am – 9:00 pm local time)
•I-65 from Exit 76 at Upton to Exit 105 at Lebanon Junction (Mon. – Fri. 5:00 am – 9:00 pm local time)
•I-64 from Exit 19 at the I-265 interchange to Exit 69 at US 62 (Mon. – Fri. 5:00 am – 9:00 pm local time)
•I-75 from the Tennessee State Line to Exit 62 at Renfro Valley (Mon. – Fri. 6:00 am – 6:30 pm local time)
KY SAFE Patrol units, operated by transportation cabinet employees, are cargo vans equipped with jumper cables, air compressor, fuel, general maintenance tools, cell phone, two-way radio and first aid equipment. Stranded motorists recognize the KY SAFE Patrol vans by the logo and name marked on the van and yellow lights on top. Not only do the patrols assist troubled motorists, they also remove debris from the interstate and provide traffic control during emergencies.
“Governor Fletcher is committed to improving our state’s transportation network and exploring every possible avenue to protect the people on our highways,” said Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert. “This project ties together safety, tourism and friendly service. Providing this assistance to our visitors is important for Kentucky’s tourism industry.” Nighbert added, “The van drivers remove dangerous items from the roadways and are trained to look for suspicious items on the roads, making them safer for everyone.”
That operator training paid off right away for an I-75 van driver who stopped to check on a jeep parked on the side of the road. The driver of the jeep ditched a meth lab beside the road and drove off. Upon inspection, the patrol operator found that the meth lab was still smoking and informed law enforcement officials of the license number and car description.
Deputy State Highway Engineer Chuck Knowles, who oversees the Office of System Preservation and Operations, is really proud of the service. Knowles explained, “We are providing a higher level of service for the motoring public and better managing our roads.” He believes that being able to serve people and keep roads open are both important and with this project both goals are being accomplished.
After receiving the service, motorists are given a postage-paid comment card to return to the Cabinet. Some of the comments received have included the following: “Thank you for the help in my time of need.” “This man provided quality assistance.” “I was lucky—you guys are great.” “I am a 25-year old woman. Being stranded on the side of the road is my worst fear. I can’t thank you enough for saving me.”
Statistics are monitored monthly, since October 5, 2004 the KY SAFE Patrol has made more than 8,500 service stops.
In addition to keeping our highways safe, the Transportation Cabinet is keeping its employees safe while they are working on our roadways. Today, the cabinet unveiled the newest thing in safety apparel — retro-reflective safety gear. One of the greatest hazards to highway construction workers is that they blend in to their surroundings and are not visible to motorists. These high visibility shirts, vests, jackets, and head wear provide 360-degree visibility of workers and are in greater contrasting lime-yellow colors to differentiate workers from other signage and barriers in work zones.
Nighbert said, “The Transportation Cabinet is committed to continual improvement in employee safety programs and holds the health and well-being of its employees as an organizational value.”
Also today, Secretary Nighbert unveiled the new cabinet vehicle decal. As part of the Cabinet’s vision to improve its image, Nighbert approved the concept of applying a distinguishing marking on KYTC vehicles.
The standard state vehicle decal "The Great Seal of the Commonwealth" was initiated in 1968 under Governor Nunn. Prior to that, not all state vehicles were "marked" and the intent was to reduce or eliminate the unauthorized use of state vehicles. This was followed by a statutory enactment by the Legislature (KRS 186.065) prescribing how state vehicles are to be marked. However, there was not a way to distinguish different agencies.
The design chosen matches the current KYTC signage on buildings and on uniforms with a few modifications. The "K" was replaced with the seal of the Commonwealth to comply with KRS 186.065. The word "Kentucky" was modified to incorporate the "Unbridled Spirit” brand. The new decal will replace the old emblems on all KYTC sedans, pickup trucks, trucks of all sizes and heavy equipment.
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