Due to an increasing number of requests to host holiday safety breaks at rest areas and welcome centers, the Division of Highways (DOH) has revised its Safety Break policy to provide additional guidance to interested parties.
The Safety Break program is designed to encourage drivers to stop and take a break to ensure safe and alert driving.
“The Division of Highways’ Safety Break program is very worthwhile. While I am happy to see so many groups interested in keeping our drivers alert and our highways safe, the division is bound to federal regulations that permit these activities by certain groups on designated holidays,” said Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox.
It is the division’s policy that permission may only be granted to civic nonprofit organizations with an identifiable safety program targeting transportation or to groups that participate in the Adopt-A-Highway Program.
Fund-raising groups and organizations sponsoring festivals, fairs and recreational activities are not permitted to host safety breaks at DOH rest areas or welcome centers.
Permission to eligible groups will be granted during the holidays of New Year’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, and the 1st day of Buck Gun Season. The agency reserves the right to permit safety breaks on days with extraordinarily high traffic volumes at its discretion.
The policy is viewable in its entirety on the Department of Transportation’s website at http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/policies/Documents/SafetyBreaksAtRestAreas.pdf.