Almost two hundred employees of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have died while performing their duties since 1921 to date. The greatest risks faced by road workers are distracted drivers and those who drive at excessive speeds or under the influence of some substance or alcohol. According to the United States Labor Statistics Department, highway maintenance and construction work is one of the most dangerous in the country.
"Our work provides people and businesses with multiple options to go where they want and when they require it, safely and efficiently on state roads, and that work is very dangerous. Therefore, we ask the traveling public to pay attention to the signaling cones, paintings, and other facilities that remind drivers to reduce their speed in maintenance and construction areas," emphasized Gustavo Dallarda, director of District 11 of Caltrans, the area that includes San Diego and Imperial counties.
Historically, in the last century, 18 workers from District 11 of the California Department of Transportation lost their lives while performing their duties. In 2022, two Caltrans members died, one was a maintenance worker from District 4, and the other was a civil engineer from District 6.
Every year, the agency pays tribute to the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for California residents. Caltrans workers risk their lives daily in their work on California roads. This time, the District 11 building courtyard was the scene of the honors.
"We are here to reaffirm our commitment to our colleagues in Caltrans and thus create awareness among the great citizens of the State of California, and we also extend the same commitment to civil contractors who risk their lives to maintain our road system," declared Tommie Cocroft, Chief of the California Highway Patrol.
The ceremony included an honor guard, a minute of silence, reading the names of the workers, an exhibition of cones to represent the deceased employees, and the placement of a commemorative floral offering.
Any driver can obtain real-time traffic information, including lane and road closures due to construction and maintenance activities, to drive cautiously and avoid fatal accidents on the page: http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
Caption 1: Aspects of the heartfelt tribute paid today to Caltrans men and women who lost their lives while performing their duties. Image Twitter @SDCaltrans.
