Local agencies remind drivers to slow down, pay attention and be patient

VANCOUVER – June, July and August are Washington’s deadliest consecutive 90 days for traffic fatalities. This is especially concerning for local road agencies, as it overlaps with the summer construction season. Clark County Public Works, Washington State Department of Transportation, Vancouver Public Works, Washington State Patrol and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office came together today to remind drivers that work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.

It’s not a matter of “if” drivers will encounter work zones this summer, but when and where. Drivers should allow extra time to reach their destinations, check traffic conditions along their route before heading out, and focus solely on driving when behind the wheel. Work zone safety starts with every driver.

Ryan Lopossa, City of Vancouver transportation engineering manager, shared, “In 2024, 850 people were the victims of fatal work zone crashes. That equates to an average of two people who are killed every day in work zones. By the end of today, another two people will die in a work zone-related crash.”

Work zone collisions resulting in serious injury and even death occur locally. In the past year, injury incidents in Clark County work zones have been caused by drivers who were distracted, speeding or feeling angry and impatient about delays to their commute.

Sarah Bartol, a construction inspector with Clark County Public Works, told of a work zone incident that occurred last summer on Northwest 99th Street. “A young worker on the crew was moving a saw cutting machine to the other side of the road. He was standing on the sidewalk with the machine in the bike lane when a minivan with a driver on their cellphone struck the worker head-on, pinning him to the machine and tossing him down the road more than 20 feet… And standing there looking at the aftermath, it really hit me that this could have easily been his life lost,” she said.

“Most of us in this industry have experienced close calls. We’ve seen distracted drivers, speeding through work zones, or people ignoring traffic control completely. And those moments are scary, because behind every hard hat and safety vest is a real person just trying to do their job and make it home to their family.”

Clark County ranks fourth among Washington counties with the most work zone collisions, with about 80 incidents recorded each year. The leading causes are distracted driving, speeding, and actions of frustrated drivers.

“Avoid distractions. Unpredictable work zones require your full attention. In 2024, distracted drivers played a role in more than one in eight fatal work zone crashes,” noted Lopossa.

Reminding drivers to slow down, pay attention and be patient helps make roads safer for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and workers. Drivers need to allow extra time to reach their destinations, check traffic conditions along their route, and focus solely on driving.

Speakers at the event included: Trooper Dakota J. Russell, Washington State Patrol District 5 Public Information Officer; Devin Reck, WSDOT Interim Regional Administrator; Paul Lodholz, WSDOT highway maintenance supervisor; Brad Fisher, Clark County Public Works construction manager; Sarah Bartol, Clark County Public Works construction inspector; Ryan Lopossa, City of Vancouver transportation engineering manager; and Det. Patrick Spak, Clark County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit.

Photos from the event, and video of county construction zones, are available online.

Clark County Public Works and WSDOT host webpages with additional information about driving safely in work zones, at wsdot.wa.gov/about/seasonal-events-programs/give-em-brake and clark.wa.gov/public-works/drive-safely-work-zones.

For information about road and park projects, closures, opportunities for community input, and more, residents can follow Public Works on X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and view information on Nextdoor.

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Information provided by Clark Co. WA Communications.