National Work Zone Awareness Week
Summer 2019 road rehabilitation project.
This week is National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) 2020, which is a nation-wide effort by federal and state transportation departments and associations to highlight the deadly dangers of inattention while traveling in highway work and construction zone areas. Everyone plays a role in work zone safety, and this week is used to remind all of us to pay extra attention as we drive past our neighbors, friends, relatives, co-workers, and fellow Michiganders who are working hard to improve our roadways.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first national work zone awareness event, which was held in Virginia in 2000. This year’s theme is Safe Work Zones for All: Protect workers. Protect road users. It features a poster reminiscent of the World War II poster with Rosie the Riveter - even using the original language used in the WWII poster. According to NWZAW.org, Michigan chose that image as a reflection of its industrial heritage. Original “Rosies” worked as riveters at the historic Willow Run aircraft factory in Ypsilanti, Michigan that built B24 bombers and is now the site of the American Center for Mobility that focuses on automated vehicles and other mobility technologies.
Although travel and work guidelines have changed throughout the state because of CDC guidelines and the current pandemic, there are still many active work zones, and we still want to encourage everyone to participate and spread awareness of being safe – either while on the job in a work zone, or traveling through one.
Did you know that in work zones:
· Most work zone crashes are caused by inattentive or distracted drivers.
· Speeding, like driving too fast for conditions, is a leading cause of fatal work zone crashes.
· More work zone crashes occurred in daytime compared to nighttime.
· Fatal crashes occurred more often during the months of May through September.
· Most often, drivers or their passengers are killed or injured in work zone crashes.
