Work Zone Memorial Makes Appearance At State Fair
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) -- The National Work Zone Memorial has made its way to the Illinois State Fair for the fourth time, and organizers continue hoping it drives home the message of safe driving.
The wall features the names of more than 1,000 people -- drivers, passengers and road workers -- who have been killed in work zones around the country. Priscilla Tobias, safety engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation, says people might hear about traffic fatalities but the wall puts it into perspective.
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"I think it really puts names to those numbers, and it's kind of like putting a face to something and it personalizes it," Tobias said. "I know when we put it in our IDOT building it gets a lot of attention."
Tobias says there were 32 fatalities in work zones last year, which is down from years past. Priscilla says new work zone laws, including the ban on cell phone usage, help further reduce fatalities. But the state's goal is to get to zero.
