Annual awareness campaign aims to increase work zone safety

“Work zones are temporary. Actions behind the wheel can last forever.”

That’s the theme for this year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week, which kicked off on Monday, April 15 and will run through Friday, April 19.

Held at the start of each construction season, the weeklong event is designed to help raise awareness about driving safely in work zones.

It’s National Work Zone Awareness Week! Take time today for a safety debrief – use our handy toolbox talks to pick an important safety topic to review with your employees. Let’s keep people safe both inside and outside the work zone! #NWZAW https://t.co/3foPCiQGoz

— Work Zone Safety (@WorkZoneSafety) April 13, 2024

According to the most recent data available from WorkZoneSafety.org, 956 people were killed in 874 fatal work zone crashes in 2021. That same year, there were a total of 291 fatal crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle, accounting for 323 of the overall fatalities.

Started by the Virginia Department of Transportation in 1997, the awareness week went national in 2000. The annual event – which is coordinated by the American Traffic Safety Services Association – has grown through partnerships with the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation and numerous state DOTs.

A schedule of planned nationwide events for National Work Zone Awareness Week includes:

• Monday, April 15 – Work Zone Safety Training Day
  • Safety demonstrations and discussions about safety policies are encouraged as part of this day.
• Tuesday, April 16 – Kickoff hosted by the Maryland DOT
• Wednesday, April 17 – Go Orange Day
  • All roadway safety professionals across the U.S. are encouraged to wear orange to show their support of work zone safety.
• Thursday, April 18 – Social Media Storm
  • Organizations, companies, institutions and individuals are asked to post on social media using the hashtags #NWZAW and #WorkZoneSafety throughout the day.
• Friday, April 19 – Moment of Silence
  • A tribute to those who lost their lives in work zone crashes.

In addition to the national event, a number of local ones are planned across the country. A full list of National Work Zone Awareness Week events can be found here. LL