I will try to address the issues of concern starting with your question about the blind curves.
The blind curves were not shown on the schedule map, but our crew leader added at least 1 extra section so drivers could see oncoming traffic.
The DOT barricades do have flashing yellow lights and reflectorized tape. Most of our yellow barricade buckets are reflectorized with glass beads in the paint.
The roads are wide enough to accommodate trucks or school buses 8 feet or less in width which is the legal limit. Our sealing trucks are the same width as school buses, trash trucks, delivery vans, etc. If our sealing trucks can get by, any of those other vehicles should be able to get by as long as they exercise due caution and drive slowly enough to carefully pass the work areas.
In response to the article on the WC Site:
,P.
Our large DOT caution signs at the entrances to the community should be sufficient to warn any reasonably responsible driver that they are entering an area where they should proceed slowly with due caution and maintain enough control of their vehicle to stop or slow as needed.
When driving at night even more caution is required. The barricades and reflectorized buckets are all easily visible and can be seen by anyone driving responsibly.
If indeed a school bus driver was driving in the work area and needed to slam on his brakes, he was obviously driving too fast for conditions and should have been reported.
In our 33 years of sealing roads and parking lots, we have seen hundreds, if not thousands, of irresponsible drivers driving past our workers and clearly marked work areas without due regard to the safety of themselves or others. We understand the potential for accidents when drivers don't slow down and use common sense. We can only make a reasonable effort to warn responsible drivers. Obviously, we are unable to control careless or irresponsible behavior.
P.S. We hope that the vandals responsible for maliciously damaging the lighted barricades and barricade buckets at the west entrance to the community were observed and reported. We request that anyone seeing further damage to the safety equipment would report it to the proper authorities.
Respectfully yours,
Dave Snavely, Pres., Gen.Mgr.
Asphalt Preservation Systems, Inc.
