Road Warrior: Repaving work on Lomas to begin Monday; NM has most distracted drivers, study says

Jan. 19—Happy Monday.

Let’s begin by giving kudos to my colleague Nakayla McClelland for her solid piece about car headlights last week.

Speaking of headlights …

With the below freezing temperatures this week, it is time to give the vehicle some attention.

According to the New Mexico Department of Transportation, it is wise to check on those headlights, tires and batteries while keeping the gas tanks full and stashing a winter kit inside the vehicle. The kit should include a flashlight, hand warmer packets, blankets, first-aid kit, high-energy snacks, nonperishable foods, bottled water, a shovel, scraper and battery booster cables, according to NMDOT.

Stay warm and safe.

REPAVING LOMAS: On Monday, the city of Albuquerque will begin work on Lomas Boulevard from Juan Tabo Boulevard to Tomasita Street.

The project will consist of repaving all lanes and improve the curb and gutters along the road. The nearly one mile project is expected to take about 90 days to complete, Department of Municipal Development spokesperson Dan Mayfield said.

“In Albuquerque it’s a big job to maintain our 4,600 miles of roadway,” said DMD Director Jennifer Turner in a statement. “We rely on data to tell us when it’s time to repave streets. This project should improve this critical route in the city.”

PASEO TO RICHLAND: Shanna and Greg Jarrett wondered about the work on westbound Paseo del Norte Boulevard between Eagle Ranch Road and Rancho Sereno Road/Richland Hills Drive.

“The new curbs, shoulder and pedestrian path were seemingly finished months ago, and there also appears to have been an addition of a new lane on the south side that has been blocked by orange barrels,” Shanna Jarrett said. “However, we have not seen any more (work) on anything on a long time, and we are wondering, what exactly is the plan for that area, and when will work be completed?”

There has been recent work in the median to repair and replace the landscaping, said NMDOT spokesperson Kim Gallegos.

The overall project includes ADA improvements, signal, turn bay, multi-use path and auxiliary improvements. An additional eastbound and westbound lane will also be put in between Coors Boulevard and Richland Hills Drive, Gallegos said.

Work has been halted “until temperatures rise again in the spring,” she said.

DISTRACTION: New Mexico has the most distracted drivers, according to a study conducted by WhistleOut. Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky and New Jersey round out the top five.

Distracted driving crashes in New Mexico are most often committed by male drivers between 45 — 64 years old, the study states.

WhistleOut provided a list of suggestions on how to prevent distracted driving:

Not texting and driving: Keep the phone down and use hands-free calling.Stop driving if drowsy. “It’s easy to get tired on long drives, but driving while drowsy is unsafe,” the study states. “Luckily, there are many rest areas on highways and places where you can stop for the night.”Multi-task outside the car: “Do not multitask while driving — even if you think it’s just a quick and easy thing like pulling up directions,” the study states. “Also, if you’re driving with passengers, you can ask them to do some tasks for you.”Don’t use the phone: “You can set up music and have it playing through the speakers, or make a hands-free Bluetooth call,” according to the study. “But if you’re holding your phone to talk, text, search, or tap the screen, that’s a major distraction and is a big no-no.”Put on the smartphone’s driving mode: iPhones (Driving Focus) and Android devices (Google Assistant driving mode) have dedicated do-not-disturb modes for drivers. “These features can prevent distractions from popping up on your device and allow you to verbally tell your phone to complete tasks like making phone calls or playing music,” WhistleOut said.

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