NATIONAL WORK ZONE AWARENESS WEEK ENTERS ITS SECOND DECADE

Every year in April, at the start of the spring season, National Work Zone Awareness Week provides an opportunity for the highway industry to remind the motoring public about safety while driving through work zones.

For the past 10 years, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) have coordinated and sponsored this important event. According to the latest federal statistics, there were 514 fatal motor vehicle crashes in work zones in 2010, resulting in 576 fatalities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, every day in America, distracted driving kills 8 people and injures over 1,100 more. The 2016 theme is “Don’t Be That Driver,” reinforcing the message that using cell phones, eating, putting on makeup and road rage are deadly distractions that don’t give drivers the time they need to react to road signs, and slow down or stop around highway work zones.

The National Work Zone Awareness Week is scheduled for April 11 – 15, with the national kick-off being held on Tuesday, April 12 near Toledo, Ohio, in the vicinity of the state’s 1-75 widening project.