Yuma County Public Works provides work zone safety awareness to teen drivers

Teen drivers learn the importance of work zone safety and shares their experience

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Yuma County Public Works went to Gila Ridge High School (GRHS) Thursday to bring work zone awareness and safety tips to teen drivers.

It's all a part of National Work Zone Awareness Week.

The goal is to educate students about work zone safety and understand what the different construction signs mean.

Samuel Mendoza, Yuma County Public Works Administrative Supervisor says it's important to maintain the safety of the workers and keep the roadways clear.

"We think that the young drivers are the ones are most distracted by texting and driving or just playing around with their music and radio, so we wanted to bring this awareness to this area," says Mendoza.

The county created a short video for students to watch in class that included a real clip of a worker almost getting hit to show the reality of distraction.

Zachary Williams, a senior at GRHS and fellow KYMA employee, not only has seen accidents happen in construction zones but he's been a victim.

"And then I've been in a motorcycle accident myself because someone came to a sharp stop because of not knowing what to do," says Williams.

According to the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearing House, in Arizona, there were 22 total deaths in 2021 and over 900 nationally.

About 106,000 total work zone crashes also occurred throughout the U.S. in 2021.

"The fatalities in work zones are very high for the state of Arizona," says Mendoza.

Senior Ahmie Marin says it's important for students to know how to treat a work zone.

"It is important to me because those are lives out there when you're driving and if you're not responsible then you can be responsible for somebody else's life, and being responsible on the road affects everyone else and yourself," says Marin.

To stay alert at the wheel, do not eat, text, or do your make-up while driving.

"And honestly if you see any signs, any orange or any flashing lights, be aware of the construction zones and slow down," reiterates Marin.

Yuma County Public Works would like to remind the community of ongoing spring pavement improvement projects happening throughout the county, so please refrain from distracted driving.

To learn more about road maintenance projects, you can visit their website.