Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – A survey done in March of roughly 1,000 regular drivers of the I-395 corridor found 9 in 10 used their phones while behind the wheel. The survey results prompted Transurban and VDOT to start a campaign to keep people safe as construction ramps up on 395 where HOV lanes are being converted to Express Lanes.
The message of the “Orange Cones, No Phones” campaign is simple – put your phone away completely when you’re in the 395 work zone. Even talking on the phone with a hands free device takes your attention away from the road according to Transurban spokesperson Mike McGurk.
“Any sort of distraction is gonna present a risk to other drivers around you and especially the on-road crews that are out there really in full force now that the weather’s nice, and we’re starting to ramp up a lot more work in the corridor,” said McGurk.
To get people to stop talking, texting and looking at their phones behind the wheel, there will be more police presence in the area along with signs.
The 395 Express Lanes are scheduled to open in fall 2019.
Copyright 2018 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: CC0 Creative Commons via Pixabay)
