An annual safety event has been held urging drivers to stay alert to ensure highway workers get home safely.
The National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) was held in April with the theme ‘Respect the Zone So We All Get Home’.
“Everyone plays a role in work zone safety,” said Gloria M Shepherd, Executive Director of the Federal Highway Administration. “Highway workers face some of the toughest conditions because their jobs require them to work in areas very close to high-speed traffic. By staying alert, drivers can help workers do their jobs safely and arrive home when their work is done.”
From 2021 to 2023, work zone fatalities decreased by nearly seven percent according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has said it will continue to help improve safety in work zones to sustain the downward trend but said the number of fatalities in work zones remained unacceptable.
FHWA is urging drivers to take the following actions to improve work zone safety for everyone:
- Avoid distractions by putting down the phone and focusing on driving safely.
- Obey posted speed limits through work zones.
- Be aware of workers who are in construction areas close to travel lanes.
- Watch for pedestrians and bicyclists.
- Give commercial motor vehicles extra space in work zones because narrowed lanes, unexpected lane shifts and longer braking distances are challenges for large vehicles.
- Find another route, where possible, to avoid work zones.
- Follow detours and pay attention to signs displaying active work zones.
