On The Horizon - April 8, 2024

Speed limit on I-90 through Bozeman lowered to 65 miles per hour

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) reports that the speed limit on Interstate 90 through Bozeman has been lowered to 65 miles per hour.

According to MDT, the change affects both eastbound and westbound lanes of I-90 between mile markers 303.6 and 313.7, which is approximately two miles west of the 19th Avenue exit and just west of Bear Canyon.

MDT says the change is due to a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) urban boundary adjustment and signage has been changed to reflect the lowered speed limit. Read More

Lunch Discussion

A Message from CVSA on the 2024 Operation Safe Driver Week

This year's Operation Safe Driver Week is scheduled for July 7-13 with a focus on reckless or careless/dangerous driving. Law enforcement jurisdictions will be conducting increased traffic safety enforcement and issue tickets or warnings, as needed, in an effort to deter unsafe driving behaviors by commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers.

We are asking our motor carrier industry members to submit data to CVSA summarizing your Operation Safe Driver Week activities and participation via a new online data submission form. Feel free to submit data as a summary report all at once or you may submit data multiple times. You may opt to gather the data for your company/organization and submit it yourself, or you may opt to send the link to your colleagues and have them submit their data individually. It’s up to you.

The data form may be completed via any mobile device or on a computer, and it's available in English, French and Spanish. We'll gather, combine and analyze the data and release it publicly later this year.

We've created a webpage specifically for our associate members with everything you'll need, including the online data submission form, social media graphics, print-ready poster files, an online order form to request complimentary Operation Safe Driver Week postcards, a two-minute roll call video highlighting this year's initiative, links to the results from previous years and more.

If you have questions, contact CVSA Director of Enforcement Programs Jake Elovirta via email or call 202-998-1812.

Will's Safety Tip

It’s never too early to prepare, let’s discuss why you need to stay hydrated.

According to the CDC and OSHA, drinking enough water is one of the most important ways you can prevent heat illness. And it’s important for your long-term health, too. Research has connected repeated episodes of dehydration caused by working in the heat with chronic kidney disease.

And when people are dehydrated, they’re not just putting themselves at risk. In hot environments, dehydration lowers alertness, increases fatigue and impairs cognitive function, which undermines overall health and safety in the workplace.

And the danger of extreme heat is getting higher every year, with 18 of the last 19 summers being the hottest on record, as of 2022. That's part of the reason why OSHA introduced a National Enforcement Program on heat in 2022, which allows the agency to conduct proactive inspections and encourage businesses to provide training, rest, shade – and water.

But hydration doesn’t just magically happen on its own. Here are five tips for helping people stay hydrated on the work site.

Encourage People to Drink Water*

* In sufficient quantities, at frequent intervals

When you’re working in the heat, you can’t just wait for your body to tell you to drink. If you feel thirsty, you’re already well on your way to dehydration. In one study, workers drank only about half as much fluid as they were losing through sweat outside of their lunch breaks, leading to some dehydration. It’s important to remind workers to drink water regularly.

How much water is enough? NIOSH recommends that people working in the heat drink one 8-ounce cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes. That’s 24 to 32 ounces of water per hour – but don’t try to drink it all at once. It’s more effective to drink small amounts frequently than to drink larger amounts infrequently.

Put the Water in Reach

If it’s too much time and effort to get to a water station, you’re less likely to take the small, frequent drinks that are best at maintaining hydration.

OSHA recommends making water available in a location that’s near the work, familiar to workers and easy to access.

Stay Safe! 

Membership Directory Advertising

E&M Consulting, Inc will again produce our membership directory. The publication will be available in both print and digital formats. E&M will be managing the project, including advertising sales and layout/graphic design.  E&M will be contacting all members about the advertising opportunities available. These sponsorships are only for directory advertising and are not a part of MTA sponsorships. The publication will be mailed to every member – an opportunity to promote and give your company additional exposure. 

To view the ad rates/options and sign-up online, please visit: https://www.reserveyourad.com/MTTA/

If you have any questions or want to advertise, please contact an E&M sales associate at 800-572-0011 ext. 0104 or advertising@eandmsales.com.