Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) kicked off National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week (April 11–15, 2016) with a tribute to three workers that lost their lives on the job.  Fortunately, they were also able to honor one of their workers that went above and beyond by preventing an accident in a construction zone.

Tim Wise was working as a flagger when he noticed a distracted driver approach a line of stopped cars without showing any signs of slowing down. Tim was able to run into her line of sight and catch her attention. The driver slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoided colliding with the vehicle in front of her. She was texting and driving.

A number of safety precautions are taken due to the danger of the workers in work zones, but construction workers aren’t the only ones at risk. It is reported that 82% of the people killed in work zone accidents are motorists or their passengers.

Tim attributes his quick thinking to the habits he has formed since his SafeStart training. SafeStart helps workers develop greater personal awareness and stronger safety skills by practicing several easy-to-follow techniques, including keeping an eye on others for risky behavior. In this case, paying attention to the people around him allowed Tim to prevent a potentially deadly collision.

Learn more about the training that Tim relies on to stay safe (and to keep others safe too) in a free on-demand webinar.