June 2017 SWRE Manager’s Report
Drive safely near utility work crews Summer months bring warm weather and long
sunny days. That means that many of us will be on the roads and highways more than ever, driving for vacation or recreational pursuits.
In summer and every other season, it’s important that we all remember to drive cautiously – to watch out for other careless or aggressive drivers, to stay under the posted speed limits, to be alert for slow-moving vehicles, and to plan a few extra minutes to allow for traffic delays. That caution can make the difference in whether we arrive safely at our destination. It can also make a life and death difference for men and women whose work places them alongside the roads that we are driving.
That includes our SWRE linemen. As part of their jobs, our linemen and crews routinely work along roadways, and that sometimes includes busy highways. It often involves servicing poles or lines alongside the road, but sometimes it is getting fallen electrical lines off the roadway or stringing new lines above the highway. In all cases, our workers are at the mercy of speeding
vehicles and careless drivers.
The situation can be especially treacherous at night, in rain or fog, or during extreme weather conditions.
If you are traveling and see one of our crews on the side of the road, please move over to give them a little extra space to work.
When you approach a crew while driving on a four-lane road, and safety and traffic conditions allow, move over into the far lane.
If you come upon a crew while driving on a two lane road, moving over to the next lane might not be an option, but please slow down. Of course, utility crews aren’t the only ones
who need the extra space. Emergency responders such as police officers, highway patrolmen, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, tow truck drivers, and DOT highway workers also endanger themselves daily in their work along the highways. Far too often these workers have been tragically injured or killed while doing their work. Texas, Oklahoma, and most other states have “Move Over” laws that direct motorists to drive cautiously around emergency or maintenance vehicles – to slow and “move over” to another lane to provide clearance for worker vehicles. Failure to do so can result in heavy fines.
So… Please drive safe and enjoy your
summer. Whether that means a trip to the lake, a family vacation, or visits with family and friends, I hope you make the best of warm weather and the longer summer days. Please know that SWRE crews and employees will be on the job, working to “keep the lights on… and the AC running!” “Safety, Service, Satisfaction.” That’s our
goal! Happy summer! Kenneth E. Simmons
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