When you see the orange signs, slow down and pay attention.
That’s the message the West Virginia State Police are sending to motorists traveling through work zones in the Kanawha Valley and across the Mountain State.
Sgt. Michael Baylous with the West Virginia State Police said the interstate is a dangerous place to work, and officers know that first hand.
“We stop vehicles or whether we’re just stopping to help someone stopped on the interstate, you get to see how fast these vehicles are really going and a lot of times they’re not paying attention,” said Baylous.
Officers are going to be making their presence known this summer at the beginning of work zones in an effort to stress the importance of driving safely through construction zones.
When off duty, Baylous said he sees drivers speeding through work zones. He said people just do not realize how much they’re endangering workers
“They just don’t stop to think that these people are out here that are trying to earn a living and working hard for their family every day and their not thinking about the danger that they’re creating for them while they are out here trying to work,” said Baylous.
The initiative to place officers at the beginning of work zones is about getting motorists to pay attention — not handing out tickets, he said.
“This is purely about highway safety and protecting the lives of these workers that are out here,” said Baylous.
But don’t just disregard the blue lights flashing because Baylous says they mean business.
“If we see somebody who is behaving in a reckless manner then we’re going to address it in the appropriate manner,” said Baylous.
Baylous urges motorists this summer to pay attention to posted speed limit signs and slow down when driving through work zones. But most importantly, he wants them to be mindful of the workers.
“Try to think about others instead of self,” said Baylous. “And how they would feel if they were out there working along the side of the road and vehicles were driving recklessly along.”