As part of Governor Kitzhaber’s proclamation, the Oregon
Department of Transportation is kicking off the 2012 May
Transportation Safety Awareness Month.

Be on the look-out for bright orange (pictured) awareness
ribbons sporting the message; pay attention to the driving task of slowing down
in construction zones to help reduce accidents and save lives. As construction
season approaches, ODOT’s message to Oregonians is driving inattentively
through work zones puts not only workers’ lives at risk but passengers and
drivers alike.

According to ODOT, the majority of people injured or killed
in work zone crashes are drivers and their passengers. The risk of death is
seven times higher for road workers than for an average worker, and the single
biggest factor in work zone related crashes is driver inattention. The other
major contributing factor? Speeding motorists.

So, look for the orange cone and respect your fellow
citizens by slowing down.