Avoidable Tragedy- 2 Die in Sacramento Construction Zone

Barbara Burks — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:14:30 GMT

Our roads and highways are an unmatched path across our country. The most common mode of transportation in America is via our personal vehicles. In order to get where we want to go the roads have to be maintained. Because our population is always growing, the roads also have to be expanded. Construction zones are just another part of life and knowing how to navigate them safely is just another part of driving.

Cone zones can sneak up on a person. Just this morning, a crew was repairing a street lamp on a curve and drivers in that lane had to slow considerably and merge into the left lane. It happened really quickly and luckily there was enough room so that nobody got hurt (and thankfully I was in the left left lane and only had to watch them). It could have been worse. It would have been nice if there had been a sign or something warning about the impending merge, but c’est la vie.

Unfortunately, not everyone reacts well to a cone zone. Some people don’t notice at all when they enter a construction zone. They do not take actions that protect themselves and others from being hurt. Others like Arnoldo Placensia, a Sacramento construction worker who died early Thursday morning. He and his crew were repairing potholes in the Arden Arcade area at the corner of Marconi and Howe. At about 1:20am, Nancy Richards sped through the area at a high rate of speed and struck Placensia. She continued on and then struck a large piece of equipment and died at the scene.

Two lives were lost. Night construction is especially dangerous, but very common in the summer season. The weather is good and Caltrans and other road construction companies want to get as much work done as possible. At the same time, they want to disrupt traffic as little as possible. This leads to night construction, but even that can be safe if everyone pays attention. This tragedy could have been avoided. Officials say Richards smelled like alcohol and a toxicology report is pending. If Richards had followed some simple rules she and Placensia would still be alive today.

1. Slow Down- construction zones will often have large machinery and people moving about to and fro, ya know, working. By slowing down you give yourself more time to assess the situation and you give them more time to see you and get out of the way if necessary.

2. Follow Directions- sometimes there are workers with the sole purpose of directing traffic. I have run into times when people are telling me to do something that doesn’t seem safe or is illegal. I didn’t want to do it, but I did it anyway. Try to remember that you don’t know the whole layout of the project. The safest bet would be to listen to the people who do know what is going on.

3. Don’t Linger- don’t get me started on lookie-loos. I don’t like it when people pause to see what’s going on. It is an unexpected action and if you’re looking to the left or right that means you’re not looking in front of you.

4. Avoid Trouble Spots- if you know a certain bridge is going to be under construction for three weeks, try to find an alternate route to your destination. It will save you from having to sit in traffic and could keep you safer.

5. Be Patient- if all else fails and you find yourself stuck for a long period in time, turn on the radio, pull out the hands-free cell phone, and settle in. Try not to get frustrated and you’ll eventually make it through.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that there are people in the area that do not have the protection of one ton of steel surrounding them. Please look out for the brave men and women who risk their lives. When you think about their job and the fact that they stand in front of, beside, behind, and around these huge vehicles and trust those drivers to behave in a responsible fashion, it’s a pretty amazing thing.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Barbara Burks

Sacramento Has 100 “Hot Spots” for Traffic Collisions!

John Demas — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:22:26 GMT

KCRA 3 in Sacramento reported some shocking statistics released from Caltrans this week. Sacramento is second only to Los Angeles when it comes to traffic collision hot spots! We all know that the interchange where 5 meets 80 meets 99 meets 50 is a mess, but did you know the 50/5 link averages an accident every other day?

Sacramento has 100 hot spots, but no street is as bad as Watt Avenue with 7,800 collisions over the past ten years. Check out the full report from Caltrans, it’s interesting reading. Statistics are excellent guides.

In the KCRA 3 article, a Charlene Bagano is quoted as blaming the drivers in Sacramento. It may be true that we speed and we tend to make rolling (or “California”) stops, but a lot of people do. It may be true that we tailgate and have heavy traffic, but, again, so does most of California. We are by no means the best drivers in the world, but we are not the worst. I don’t think it’s fair to blame the people and just say “they don’t care.” My question is, who does? Who really thinks about the fact that they are operating heavy machinery every time they enter their car? Who realizes the responsibility and liability associated with that privilege?

Saying that people are the cause is an easy out. Maybe the Sacramento area should take a closer look at certain intersections and “hot spots” and try to spot what’s really wrong here. There is a reason Caltrans creates these reports and labeling people who live here as bad drivers isn’t it.

If you want to see change everyone has to work together. If you want to see safer streets we need to educate new drivers, regulate current drivers, and make road planning with an emphasis on safety a priority.

What do you think? Is it us? Is it them? What would you suggest?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by John Demas

Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer - Caltrans

Avoidable Tragedy- 2 Die in Sacramento Construction Zone

Sacramento Has 100 “Hot Spots” for Traffic Collisions!