Traffic Safety

What do traffic engineers, road maintenance workers, bike and pedestrian advocates, deputy sheriffs and firefighters have in common? A concern for public safety! And traffic safety is a huge component of public safety.

Our goal is to reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage from road traffic collisions.  Contributing factors to road traffic crashes are related to the driver, the vehicle, the pedestrian, the bicyclist, and the road itself. Check out what officials can do and what you can do to help!

 

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WorkZoneAwareness2Feature TopicWork Zone Awareness

Work zone crashes killed 576 people and injured an estimated 37,000 in 2010. Road work is a dangerous occupation, but only 10 to 15 percent of work zone fatalities are road workers; 85 to 90 percent of those killed in work zones are drivers and their passengers. How you drive in work zones has a direct impact on your own safety, as well as the safety of workers. National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 23-27 and this year's theme is: "Don't Barrel through Work Zones." The goal is to remind drivers that work zone crashes are preventable.

 
For more information check out our Work Zone Awareness page.


What officials can do…

Traffic engineers refer to the 3 E's:  Engineering, Education, and Enforcement. 

  • Engineering tools include road design, pavement markings, warning and regulatory signs, and traffic calming devices, along with all the engineering that goes into the design and manufacture of vehicles. 
  • Education informs people through driver's education classes, media safety campaigns, signage, speed watch programs, and school and neighborhood meetings. 
  • Enforcement techniques include Sheriff's Office warnings and citations, along with radar trailers, speed display signs and radar reader boards.

 

What you can do…

Motorists today share the road with many more bicyclists, pedestrians, and farmers moving their equipment.  Here are the keys to safety for us all:

  • Speed – watch it!
  • Alcohol – do not drink and drive.
  • Seatbelts – wear them!
  • Helmets – if you are on a bike, a helmet should be on you. 
  • Visibility – when walking or biking, wear light and reflective colors.