What do cute cat videos that abound on social media have in common with a Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) video?
Both are connected to promoting wellness.
A recent news story links watching amusing cat videos with improvements in mood and mental health.
MoDOT's cautionary retelling of a frightening work zone accident is designed to prevent physical injuries by promoting driver attentiveness. The video can be found at http://youtu.be/fKaWWyJSBVM.
Each spring, MoDOT participates in National Work Zone Awareness Week to remind motorists that improvements and maintenance of roads and bridges will resume.
Included in that reminder is advising motorists that work zones vary in both type and duration - from long-term construction projects to moving operations, including paint striping, patching or mowing.
A May 27 collision during a striping operation is the focus of the video, told by four MoDOT employees. Thankfully, no one suffered major injuries in the accident that involved a distracted driver hitting two trucks in the striping convoy.
"Everyone was very lucky," said Brandon Schreimann, signing and striping supervisor. "It could have been much worse. The car involved in the crash was very small. The driver could have easily got sucked up under the back end of the striper if the car would have hit us square."
Any assumption that work zone safety initiatives are designed solely to protect highway workers is only half true. Although employees working near roadsides are exposed to danger, motorists who collide with heavy equipment are similarly vulnerable.
"Our ultimate goal for sharing these stories," said MoDOT Central District Engineer David Silvester, "is to educate motorists about the dangers of distracted driving."
Distracted driving always has been a problem, but it is particularly challenging now that technology has placed more distractions at our fingertips.
In the video, that point is made by Justin Kumberg, a senior maintenance worker. "Radio, cell phones, tablets, a sandwich, makeup, are all dangerous, when they take your attention off of the highway," he said. "Please pay attention to the road and drive safe in work zones."
Next time you're on social media watching cat videos to improve your mood, we encourage you to check out the MoDOT video as a reminder to keep your focus on the road, particularly in work zones.