As warm weather allows highway roadwork to resume, remember that the lives of highway workers are often in your hands. Stay alert and be prepared for sudden changes that distracted drivers may not notice in time to prevent a crash.
In 2014, 669 fatalities occurred in highway work zones. On average, three fatalities each day happen in a highway work zone. That means three families lose children, brothers, sisters or parents each day.
It’s not just road workers who are in danger. Eighty-two percent of fatalities in work zone crashes are the drivers or their passengers. Distracted driving was a factor in 16 percent of fatal crashes in work zones, and speeding was a factor in nearly one-third.
For more information on driving safely in work zones, go to www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/wz_awareness.htm.