With numerous road improvement projects across the region, the Nevada Department of Transportation and Nevada Highway Patrol are making a concerted effort to get people to slow down and pay more attention while driving in road work zones.

“Tragically, there were 12 deaths in Nevada road work zones in a recent one-year period,” Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Duncan Dauber said in a statement. “Nothing other than zero fatalities is acceptable on Nevada roads. By slowing down, always buckling up and focusing on the road, drivers can help reach that goal. And drivers should pay particular attention when driving through road work zones. If you commit a traffic violation in a road work zone with workers present, you can be cited and fines and demerit points against your license can be doubled.”

Nevada work zone crashes July 1, 2014, to July 1, 2015
Total fatalities – 12; injuries – 612 ; crashes – 1,020
                                                                        Source: NDOT

This spring and summer, NDOT will continue improvements on Interstate 580 between Glendale Avenue and Moana Lane in Reno. Other road construction projects will enhance I-580 through Washoe Valley and Highway 50 at Cave Rock.

Throughout construction, NDOT works to keep drivers and road workers safe, using protective barriers, warning signs, lower speed limits, lane closures and flaggers in certain work zones. Construction work is also often scheduled during nighttime and off-peak hours.

Nevada law doubles the penalty for speeding, up to $1,000, in any marked road construction or maintenance work zone when workers are present.