Sacramento - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has received a $3 million grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to continue its award-winning highway safety awareness campaign that is aimed at preventing collisions, injuries, and deaths involving highway workers and motorists in California highway work zones.

The new grant will help Caltrans further educate California drivers about the hazards associated with unsafe driving in or around highway work zones.  Since Caltrans launched the Slow for the Cone Zone program in 1999, California’s work zone collisions, injuries, and fatalities have decreased significantly. 

“Our goal is to protect the lives of the highway workers as well as drivers and passengers in work zones,” said Caltrans Director Randy Iwasaki.  “When you see an orange cone, that means slow down in the work zone.”

The Slow for the Cone Zone public awareness campaign runs through September 2011.  The goal is to increase driver awareness through public outreach and education, with a heavy emphasis on new drivers, such as teenagers. Informational kits will be delivered to driver’s education classes throughout California. There will be visits to high schools and participation at local community events throughout the state.  

“The Office of Traffic Safety is pleased to once again partner with Caltrans on this very important safety message,” said OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy. “You can never do enough outreach around the message of safety.  It’s all about saving lives.”   

Several traffic-related departments within the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency have implemented a Strategic Highway Safety Plan that promotes "Slow for the Cone Zone" by increasing work zone safety through increased driver awareness in work zones.

Funding for the grant comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.