Safeguarding Our Highways

Our nation's highways are always in need of maintenance and enhancements, and every day, crews across the country are working to improve our roadways. Unfortunately, these work zones are also high-risk environments for both drivers and workers. In the U.S., more than 900 fatalities occur each year in work zones. This week, we join our state, city and community partners as well as the Federal Highway Administration in recognizing Work Zone Awareness Week to help protect workers on the roads.

The goal of this week is to encourage drivers to understand how their driving behaviors can have a direct impact on the lives of the workers who are helping to improve our roadways. Speed and distractions can have deadly consequences.

Did You Know?

 In 2021:

• 956 people died in work zones
• 108 highway worker occupational fatalities occurred in road construction sites
• 60% of highway contractors reported crashes in their construction work zones
• But it’s not just workers! 778 drivers and passengers lost their lives in crashes in work zones

Good News: Technology Can Help

Fortunately, the movement to protect all road users is underway. States, such as Washington, recently signed into law a bill to authorize automated speed enforcement to protect all road users in work zones and reduce speeding.

By automating the enforcement of speed limits, technology can help change driving behaviors. In fact, 84% of violators who received and paid a work zone violation did not get a second according to the 2023 PennDOT AWZE Annual Report. 

This month, organizations across the country are raising awareness of Work Zone Safety and encouraging everyone to take action to decrease work zone fatalities and injuries. Highlights include:

1. The Connecticut Department of Transportation implemented its Know the Zone: Speed Safety Camera Program to reduce speeding in work zones and improve roadway safety across Connecticut. 
2. New York State Department of Transportation launched its first Automated Work Zone Speed Program on April 17 and has begun issuing warnings to thousands of drivers who speed through work zones across the state.
3. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement 2023 Annual Report results exceeded it's program goals. During PennDOT’s 2022 primary construction months (April – October), speeding in the program’s enforced work zones was reduced to 17.2%.