Letters to the Editor - Lubbock Online.comWork Zone Fines

Published: Sunday, January 25, 1998





Work Zone Fines

On Jan. 1, a new law (HB 981) took effect in Texas, doubling the fines for most moving violations committed in highway construction work zones. Fines for these traffic violations could be as high as $400.

At the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), we wholeheartedly stand behind this new law. It is a lifesaver for our workers and their families.

Over the years, our highway workers have given their time, their talent and, unfortunately, their lives to provide Texans with a first-rate transportation network.

Over the past nine years, 18 TxDOT workers have died in work-related crashes.

When drivers speed in construction zones, they're not simply skirting the law, they're putting roadway workers' lives at risk.

Every time a driver gets a ticket for disregarding construction zone laws, it will be a hefty reminder that circumventing the law is costly.

Think about it. How would you like to know that every time you stepped into your office, someone could come barreling through it at 60 mph? Not a comforting thought, is it?

HB 981 applies to all construction or maintenance workers - state, city, county, private contractors - and the money collected from the fines goes into the coffers of the jurisdiction that issued the citation.

We believe HB 981 is a step in the right direction in saving the lives of construction workers.

Our workers deserve a safe work environment. We're counting on the citizens of Texas to keep our workers - and our roadways - safe.

CARL R. UTLEY, District Engineer Texas Transportation Department