The Texas Construction News staff writer
AUSTIN— As Texas marks Crash Responder Safety Week from Nov. 17-21, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is asking motorists to exercise extreme caution to protect the roadside crews who risk their lives daily.
Kevin Lenox, a TxDOT maintenance supervisor in Burnet, described the constant dangers his team faces while clearing crashes and maintaining highways. Lenox, a Marine veteran, emphasized that his crews serve as the “first line of defense” for emergency situations ranging from traffic collisions to plane crashes.
“If one hits you, it’s probably going to — at the very least — knock you unconscious,” Lenox said, recalling an incident where a traffic cone launched by a passing 18-wheeler struck a worker.
TxDOT officials remind drivers of the state’s Move Over or Slow Down law, which requires motorists to vacate the lane closest to stopped emergency vehicles or slow down to 20 mph below the posted limit.
