PennDOT officials handed out crash statistics and offered a firsthand glimpse of how a state trooper runs radar. Crews will continue work at the Anderson Creek work zone for about the next two months at miles 106-100, westbound and 96-102 eastbound.

"We're here to try and get people to slow down," said Press Officer Marla Fannin. "We have a trooper here running radar, but his goal isn't to write tickets. Our goal is to get people to slow down and protect the safety of the workers and themselves."

Average daily traffic for the portion of the interstate under construction is approximately 22,000 cars, a number PennDOT said could approach 25,000 with the Easter holiday approaching. In an effort to "cone-trol" speed, workers set up a portable radar sign at the job site to show drivers their current speed. Though the signs are not as accurate as the calibrated equipment used by PSP, PennDOT hopes they serve as a reminder to slow down.

According to PennDOT statistics, four out of five victims in highway work zone-related accidents are drivers, and not the highway workers. Preliminary crash statistics from 2008 indicate that 40 work zone crashes occurred in the nine-county District No. 2 area that includes Clearfield County. About 1,415 work zone crashes occurred throughout Pennsylvania.

To avoid accidents, motorists should slow down, avoid distractions and pay attention to the vehicle in front of them.

Simple things like these may be the difference between life and death, said Project Inspector Dick Nevil. Motorists should drive according to the posted speed limit (55 mph during non-working hours and 45 mph during working hours), keep their eyes focused on the road and not cell phones, food or radio dials and beware of slow-moving or congested traffic.

"A lot of crashes happen because of congestion or slow-moving traffic," said Mr. Nevil. "People don't realize the vehicle in front of them has stopped suddenly. The next thing you know there's an accident and it might involve more than two vehicles."

Safety officials at the site reminded motorists to be cognizant of the weather as well, citing early morning fog that can cause a glaze of ice atop the roadway.

Mr. Nevil said the Anderson Creek work zone presents a challenge in that PennDOT receives three different weather reports for the site from Clearfield, Penfield and Falls Creek that, at times, are all different. Drivers should maintain a safe following distance of four seconds, which should increase by two to three seconds if there is a wet roadway.

"We've had a pretty good season so far," said Mr. Nevil. "Sometimes we have to keep the police moving. If they sit in one spot too long it creates chatter among the truckers. Sometimes the truckers will slow down until they get past a trooper and then pick their speed back up again later in the work zone."

On the flip side of the safety issue, PennDOT workers and flaggers receive safety training before going out to an active work zone. Flaggers learn where to stand, how to wear protective equipment, how to avoid moving vehicles, what direction to look and escape routes.

"The important thing is communication," said Mr. Nevil. "On a job site you can have many entities. There are contractors and subcontractors. ... It's important to know where everyone is and what everyone is doing at all times so we can ensure everyone's safety.

"But our number one goal today is getting people to slow down."