Scan the area every 3 to 5 seconds

 

Hi, I am Tim Micek, the Subarea Supervisor at the KDOT Goodland office, and I have worked for KDOT for 21 years now. I have seen several crashes and incidents on the highway. There is one incident that I will never forget.

We were fixing guardrail on I-70. It was the end of the day and we had just finished up and were picking up traffic control.  We were getting close to the end of the taper picking up our cones.  We were using the 36-inch cones with the 6-pound weight at that time. 

The arrow board was still on with its message, directing traffic into the passing lane. I was at the last cone near the arrow board and reached down and picked it up. On my way up, it slipped out of my hand and proceeded to roll out in the driving lane. I bent down quick in hopes to grab it and WHOOSH!! I felt something bump the top of my hat and knock it off my head. 

I looked up and a motorhome WHOOSHED by, running over the cone. It was still in the driving lane and the driver failed to move over. Boy! That day was an eye opener for me and how dangerous it was working on the highway.

Ever since that day, I decided that whenever I am on the highway that I would scan the area every three to five seconds to look for hazards. Had I have scanned the driving lane to see if traffic were there, I would not have had this close call. I had only been working for KDOT for probably less than five years - it sure made me respect the highway.

Since I made the choice to implement the scan method in my everyday life, I have been able to be more proactive and see potential crashes or incidents before they happen and get out of the way of them. I even find myself doing this in parking lots when I’m off of work, and let me tell you, it has saved me several times.

Highway workers, whether KDOT or private contractors, are in a whole new and different environment compared to the average person. I have seen a lot of people (including myself) who get upset at people who do not move over. This may be a legitimate reason to get mad, but I try not to. Think about it for a second. We all know what it feels like to have someone fly by us at 90 mph, but the traveling public has no idea at all. They do not know that when they went by, that they about knocked you off your feet. They are oblivious to it.  We cannot control them. All we can do is control how we react. And if you choose to get upset and mad, that only makes your day more difficult.

If we could put every person traveling the highway at centerline just one day and they could see what we go through, then things may change.  We all know this is impossible to do, so highway workers need to implement ways and follow guidelines of being safe in work zones.

Thank you