Lee Summit, MO Car Accident Attorneys Recognize Fallen Workers Memorial

A Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) employee and his wife will be walking more than 100 miles on the Katy Trail to help raise money for the Fallen Workers Memorial. They're making the journey from St. Charles to Jefferson City in five days to help raise awareness about the dangers that our road workers face for on-the-job car accidents in Lee Summit and elsewhere throughout Missouri.

Jim Feeney is the Weldon Spring Maintenance Crew Leader for MoDOT. He and his wife are helping to raise the money for this memorial since it will rely solely on funds from private donations.

Our car accident attorneys in Lee Summit, MO understand the risks that roadway construction workers face on the job. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, transportation accidents accounted for about two out of every five work-related accidents in 2008. Highway accidents killed nearly 1,200 workers during the same year. There were nearly 350 workers who were hit by vehicles or mobile equipment during that year as well.

According to NIOSH, roadway construction workers are at extremely high risk for fatal traffic-related accidents when working around passing motorists. Every year, there are more than 100 workers are killed in these incidents, and another 20,000 are injured. Passing vehicles cause more than half of all worker fatalities in the street construction industry. In Missouri, there were roughly a dozen deaths resulting from construction zone work accidents. Nearly 600 injuries resulted from these accidents in the state.

In recent years, officials have focused on traffic control devices to help reduce motorist confusion and to help reduce the risks of these accidents. While eliminating traffic may be the best option to help protect these motorists, this may not always be a feasible solution.

As the winter weather rolls in, the roadways become more difficult to navigate and as the holiday travel season approaches, we ask all motorists to be extra cautious on our roadways especially when traveling through construction zones. In construction zones, motorists should slow down and move over. Keep a watchful eye out for roadside workers.

Tips for driving through a construction zone from MoDOT:

• Slow down when nearing a work zone. The zone will approach quicker than you think.
• Follow all posted limits when driving in a work zone. Try to keep your speed consistent with the flow of traffic. Be sure that you adjust your speed during poor weather conditions.
• Make sure you don't resume the normal speed limit until signs have instructed you that it's okay to do so.
• Don't tailgate. Make sure there's enough room between you and the vehicle in front of you to be able to stop safely. Be sure to also leave an adequate distance between your vehicle and workers and construction zone equipment.
• Never pass on the shoulder.
• Don't cross on the median.
• Always leave yourself an out. Never let your vehicle get boxed in in a construction zone.
• Remain calm and don't rush through these zones.
• Look ahead. If you know there's a work zone on the way to your destination, leave early and allow yourself more time.
• Curb all distractions while driving through these zones.

If you would like to donate to the memorial fund, you can send a check:

Payable to: State Highway & Transportation Employees Association of Missouri

Address:
Fallen Workers Memorial,
Attn: Dave B. Taylor
3929 East 7th Street
Joplin, Mo., 64801