Letters to the Editor

Be careful in

road work zones

Editor:

It's a place where nearly every day three people tragically lose their lives. It's also a place where our friends, neighbors and fellow Nevadans work to improve our infrastructure. It's our road work zones.

In life's busy schedule, these work zones can slow the hurried commuter temporarily. When safe driving practices aren't followed, they can be a place where lives are ruined permanently.

One example is a dedicated Nevada Department of Transportation employee who was recently struck while removing traffic cones on Interstate 215 in Las Vegas.

As this valuable team member struggles to recover, all of us continue to wish the very best to him and all those affected by work zone crashes.

Every year, more than 1,000 people nationwide die in road work zone crashes; crashes often caused by unsafe driving behaviors such as driving too fast, following too closely, or failing to follow the direction of construction signs.

Most of these fatalities are vehicle drivers and passengers, others are road workers.

The Nevada Department of Transportation is dedicated to the uncompromising safety of our work zones. Protective barriers are placed in appropriate work zones to protect motorists, workers and equipment.

Warning signs, lane closure alerts and flaggers are put in place to assist motorists, and detour routes, when available, are established and noted with signs.

Each worker is trained on proper safety and traffic control. And while Nevada temperatures often require that work be completed during daytime hours, the state also performs all possible construction in nighttime and off-peak hours.

As transportation workers maintain the quality of Nevada roads, motorists must take responsibility to make their travels the safest they can be, for themselves and all those sharing the road.

How? Dial 511 for Nevada road construction reports before driving.

Always use seatbelts. Keep additional space between your car and other vehicles. Most importantly, always take it slow, obey posted speed limits in road work zones, and pay attention. NDOT invites all drivers to visit www.nevadadot.com/safety for current road construction reports and more safe driving tips. With these important safety tips, our work zones can become a safe place for road workers to continually improve the vital transportation thoroughfares of our state. It is more important than ever as we wish the very best to our stricken highway worker and prepare to recognize National Work Zone Awareness Week through April 11.

Susan Martinovich

Nevada Department of Transportation

Publisher should think locally

Editor:

I have read letters to the editor about the new publisher, Don Rogers. I had no opinion since I missed whatever it was that he wrote about the airport.

On April 4, I read Mr. Roger's essay about the local economy. For me to fully dissect it would take a full page. My wife gave it a C - at a high school English level just for how disjointed it is.

A few lucky terrorists did not wreck the economy. I don't understand why it's my patriotic duty to shop or shop locally. I do keep the money in town when I can, but that's to support my neighbors.

When I get the economy stimulating check that I read about in the IRS $42 million dollar mailing, I knew what I was going to spend it on. It's going in the bank to cover my first quarter estimated tax. That will help cover the $18 billion tax cut that we're giving to the oil companies.

If I didn't do that, I would spend it in the county, most likely at Wal-Mart.

The county would get some sales tax, the employees would take that meager pay home, mostly to Carson Country, and spend it locally there. Much of money would go to China to stimulate their economy.

John Spradley

Gardnerville