My name is Scott Gofourth and I have been with KDOT as a
Safety Specialist for a little over a year now. My previous career was in law enforcement.
I retired from law enforcement and have tried to leave many of those memories
in the past.
Scott Gofourth
I have seen the results of pedestrian/vehicle accidents on
numerous occasions. I have been the individual hit at a traffic stop and while
directing traffic. I have to say it didn’t matter to me whether it was on
purpose or an accident, there was a moment of sheer terror to begin with,
followed by anger, disbelief and relief I was not severely injured. I have delivered the ominous message of those
results more times than I ever cared to. One time or one hundred times, that
message never gets any easier to deliver.
The other aspect of that is it didn’t matter if the victim
was that of an accident. It didn’t make the family feel any better that the
individual didn’t mean to take their loved one’s life. The result is still the
same - a family lost a member.
Someone they loved, someone they depended on to provide a
living, someone who brought joy to their life, someone they called Mom, Dad,
Brother, Sister, Son, Daughter Husband or Wife. Someone they shared good times,
bad times and in between times with, not to mention dreams and hopes. That is
gone forever and cannot be changed, no matter how sorry we are.
And what about the person responsible for the accident?
They just lost a lot of those same things that were lost by the individual who
died. Their life and their families’ lives have changed forever.
They may be facing prison, astronomical lawsuits and legal
bills as well as the drama and persecution that social media can bring for a
family. I only mention this because I have seen this be the case many times.
Again, delivering that message is not easy. All of this because we wanted to
answer that text or take our focus from our driving. Because we were in a hurry
and just couldn’t wait. Because we have driven through there a thousand times,
and nothing has happened before.
The sad part is two families have been changed forever, and
not for the good.
Now for a work zone to be safe, it takes both the workers as
well as the drivers passing through the zone to be aware of what is going on. I
have seen the aftermath of a worker thinking the driver will stop, or the
driver thinking the worker will move. The worst thing a driver or worker could
do in this situation is assume.
Complacency and lack of situational awareness in a work
zone is a recipe for disaster. I have seen too many altered lives that did not
have to be. If only we hadn’t looked at the phone or messed with the radio; if
we had been attentive to our surroundings, wore the proper safety equipment and
kept our mind on the task at hand and our surroundings.
I do not believe anyone gets out of bed that day and wants
to be part of a tragedy that injures an individual for life or ends someone’s
life, possibly their own.
Don’t be that person. Be patient, be aware, be attentive,
drive without the distractions.
Thank you for sharing your story Scott. People need to focus on driving instead of any other distraction that may pull their attention away. It can change the life of everyone involved if they don't!
ReplyDeleteI agree. With over 2.5Mil. vehicle accidents happening yearly due to distracted driving worldwide. Its safe to say that none of them left their home thinking they would be the cause or involved in those accidents. The taking of a life due to driving distracted will have a lasting effect on all families involved and its something that you can never take back or fix because all livelihoods' have been changed forever. It's imperative that KDOT employees continue to stay vigilant during their daily duties and take all necessary safety precautions to protect themselves, because we ourselves should never become complacent.
ReplyDelete"Because we have driven through there a thousand times, and nothing has happened before." This is an excellent point, Scott. As road users, we grow numb to the world around us. This is a road I've taken more times than I can count - I've never had an issue here... until you do. Crashes are random - we cannot predict exactly where a crash will occur but it our job as road users to give it our fullest attention!
ReplyDelete"Now for a work zone to be safe, it takes both the workers as well as the drivers passing through the zone to be aware of what is going on. I have seen the aftermath of a worker thinking the driver will stop, or the driver thinking the worker will move. The worst thing a driver or worker could do in this situation is assume." You know what they say about when you assume... I won't write it out but you're absolutely right. To assume is to put the responsibility on the other party, not knowing how it will play out. We all play an extremely important role in the transportation system, no matter what part we play.
Thank you, Scott, for writing this. You have excellent points!
Scott: Thank you so much for this powerful blog. Crashes don't just affect the individuals involved, but entire families. One false move - blowing through a STOP sign, texting while driving, disregarding a reduced speed limit - just one false move and many lives can be changed forever. And as you noted, these lives will not be changed for the better.
ReplyDeleteWow this is an incredible reminder. I've been the person who was hit by a car before. I've seen what many see as the vehicle impacts our bodies. It's not a feeling you forget. I was just a kid on a bike. In work zones, these are folks who are doing their jobs and trying to keep our state and communities moving.
ReplyDeleteIt's so easy to make a mistake. It's too easy to drive distracted, but lives are lost too often.
Thank you for your story.
Thank you for sharing your experience with the effects from traffic crashes. It does have an impact on more than just those directly involved.
ReplyDelete