New Mexico Auto Accident Lawyers

New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department Reports November Accident Free on NM 44/US 550

Santa Fe, December 20, 2000 - The New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department (NMSHTD) released statistics today that show promise for the safety of Four Corners residents who travel on NM 44/US 500. For the month of November, there were no private vehicle accidents on the 109-mile section of the corridor that is under construction, which is from north of San Ysidro to just south of Bloomfield.

Beyond the November statistic, the project itself has a strong safety record. The NM 44 project has accumulated 1,121,133 man-hours to date. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) defines man-hours as the total hours worked by all employees on official duty at the reporting workplace during the reporting period (quarter, annual), excluding vacations, holidays, sick leave, and other non-work time.

The Lost Time Incident Rate (LTI) is 1.43 for the entire remaining 109 miles of the project, with the national average 4.4 for highway construction. OSHA defines an Incident Rate as the number of injuries, illnesses, or lost workdays related to a common exposure base of 100 full-time workers.

The Recordable Incident Rate for the project is currently 4.10, where the national rate for a highway construction project is 9.6. Recordable cases are defined as all work-related deaths and illnesses, and those work-related injuries which result in loss of consciousness, restriction of work or motion, transfer to another job, or require medical treatment beyond first aid.

"People working on the project are truly making safety a way of life," said NMSHTD spokeswoman Kathie Leyendecker. "And many of those people working on the project are corridor residents. We think, with the Highway's reputation, everyone is more sensitive to safety issues."

Pete Rahn, NMSHTD Cabinet Secretary, echoes Ms. Leyendecker's comments.

"Before the project even started, we met with residents and officials from the area to find out what the concerns were for the future of the Four Corners area. Overwhelmingly, people told us that safety and jobs were essential," said Pete Rahn, Cabinet Secretary of NMSHTD. "This project is addressing both of those concerns on a daily basis."

The reconstruction and expansion project is currently 55 percent complete, and is on schedule for a November 2001 substantial completion.

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