(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — It’s road construction season, and that means motorists must slow down in work zones where crews are doing their jobs. Officials say you should do it for your own good, too.
“I’m in a work zone every day with cars and trucks flying past me a few feet away at high speeds. Nearly every day, I have close calls,” Monique Cruz, a work-zone flagger and mother of four, said Tuesday.
Tollway HELP truck operator Mike Aponte assists motorists as traffic speeds by. He has to stay on guard.
“I have to keep my head on a swivel,” he said.
Roadside workers are at risk as people speed by while using their smart phones. But statistics suggest drivers are even more at risk.
Last year, there were 25 people killed in Illinois work-zone crashes, IDOT Secretary Omer Osman said.
“Nine out of 10 work zone fatalities are not the workers but drivers and their passengers traveling through work zones,” Osman said.
Illinois State Police District 15 Cmdr. Capt. Jason Bradley said there are stiff penalties for speeding in work zones, ranging from $250 to $750. A second offence will result in a license suspension, he said.
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