Concerned about a spike in highway worker deaths, the
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has partnered with the
California Highway Patrol (CHP) to provide enhanced speed and DUI
enforcement in highway construction and maintenance zones across
California.

Four Caltrans workers have died in traffic-related incidents in the last
year. Three of them were killed within 48 days, during May and June. Those
deaths reversed a steady trend of reduced fatalities, which is partially
attributed to the Slow for the Cone Zone public awareness campaign
established in 1999. A total of 178 Caltrans workers have died on the job
since 1924.

“Motorists often automatically slow down when they see police or CHP
officers,” said Caltrans Interim Director Malcolm Dougherty. “We also want
them to slow down for Caltrans vehicles and equipment.”

The CHP officers will park their patrol vehicles within work zones.
Caltrans hopes that the presence of the officers will help to slow traffic
or encourage vehicles to move over at least one lane from a highway work
zone, as required by the Move Over law.