Department of Highways, District 6
Please slow down, my daddy works here!

Please slow down, my daddy works here!

Events highlight tragedies behind work zone accidents

FRANKFORT, Ky.  ­— It was a day Nancy Chandler Oney will never forget: The day her husband never came home from his job on the highway work crew.

“It only takes a second of distraction when driving through a work zone. The smallest mistake could keep someone’s mom or dad from coming home to their family,” Oney said.

Oney hopes her words can provide a reminder for those driving through highway work zones this year to be careful. In 2003 her husband, Frank Chandler, died in a work zone crash along KY 8 in Kenton County. She has teamed up with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to participate in several events marking National Work Zone Safety Week, April 6 – 10.  The week is set aside to salute those who keep our highways in good order and risk their lives doing it.

More than 40,000 people are injured and thousands are killed yearly in work zones. The majority of those, 85 percent, are motorists. Three people were killed in Kentucky highway work zones in 2008, according to police records.

Family members of victims, along with traffic safety groups, the Federal Highway Administration, law enforcement, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet are taking part in events throughout the state, paying tribute to victims and raising consciousness about work zone safety.

“By talking about the issues, and taking a few minutes to reflect and remember, we hope we can save lives in the future,” said Transportation Cabinet Secretary Joe Prather at an event in Louisville.  “These people risk their lives every single day so we can go to work, school or the grocery store.  We each share a responsibility to make highway work zones as safe as possible by slowing down and being alert when driving through them.”

“We hope this week will be a reminder that thousands of highway workers will be out in force this year, and that their lives are in our hands,” said Boyd Sigler, director of highway safety programs for the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety. “Work zone safety is a concern for everyone on the road.”

The Transportation Cabinet is expected to invest in hundreds of highway projects again this year.  Traditionally, the highway construction season kicks off in April. Cabinet engineers and contractors work cooperatively to design projects and work schedules that minimize delays and crashes.

“Our priority is the safety of our contract employees out there working on road projects,” added Charles Lovorn, of the Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors.  “We vary work hours and consider other options to ensure quality road projects and a safe working environment within the work zone.”   

Here are the top 10 work zone safety tips.

1. Expect the unexpected.
2. Slow down.
3. Don’t tailgate. Keep a safe distance between vehicles.
4. Keep a safe distance between construction workers and equipment.
5. Pay attention to the signs.
6. Obey road crew flaggers.
7. Stay alert and minimize distractions.
8. Keep up with the traffic flow.
9. Schedule enough time and call 511 or go to www.511.ky.gov for Kentucky traffic and travel information.
10. Be patient and stay calm.

This week’s work zone awareness events coincide with “National Work Zone Awareness Week.” 

 Pictured left to right:  Chuck Knowles-Deputy State Highway Engineer, Rob Hans - Chief District Engineer for District 6 and Nancy Chandler Oney.

Nancy Chandler Oney spoke about the day she got the call one day in August, 2003,that her husband, Frank Chandler, was struck while flagging in a work zone.  Frank, a KYTC District 6 employee later died of his injuries.

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