National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 17-21

By Sheri Call

OLYMPIA — April 6, 2023 — Spring weather means another season is also in full swing: construction season. Washington drivers will see more orange signs on our roadways this time of year as highway workers help repair, maintain, and upgrade our critical infrastructure. As we share the roadways this spring — drivers and workers —  the trucking industry is helping to remind motorists that we all play a role in work zone safety. 

Motor vehicle crashes in work zones are the leading cause of work-related deaths in America. According to the most recent data available from workzonesafety.org, there were 857 deaths, which included 117 workers, as a result of 774 fatal work zone crashes in 2020. 

Washington Trucking Association (WTA) members are proud to support legislation in Washington to install speed safety cameras in highway work zones to add a needed layer of protection for roadway workers.  

“No one knows better than the trucking industry, anyone working on the road deserves a safe return home to their loved ones” said WTA President Sheri Call. 

National Work Zone Awareness Week, observed April 17-21, is an annual campaign to raise awareness of and encourage safe driving while motorists travel though roadway construction sites.  

Construction zones and the resulting delays in traffic and added time onto travel can be frustrating for drivers, but routine road work is critical for our communities; it ensures our infrastructure is safe for individuals and families who are traveling our local roadways, and for America’s truck drivers who are delivering the goods our communities rely on. 

For those drivers who come across a work zone these warmer months will not only encounter orange road signs as a signal to slow down but will also be warned of a speed safety camera ahead. By slowing down, minimizing distractions, and keeping a safe following distance, senseless motor vehicle deaths in work zones can be prevented, and drivers can avoid a speeding ticket. 

For America’s 3.49 million professional truck drivers, safety always comes first. Truck drivers recognize the responsibility they have while sharing the road with the individuals and families driving alongside them, as well as to their own families back at home, and know they are part of the solution to safer roads. 

While sharing the road during these warmer months, we must all remember we all play a role in keeping our roads safe —  whether you are behind the wheel of a car or a truck. Driving safely, especially through work zones, is a responsibility we all share to our fellow Americans on the road. Join with the Washington trucking industry and help keep our roadways safer for all drivers and roadway workers this construction season. 

About the Washington Trucking Associations
Since 1922, the Washington Trucking Associations (WTA) has served as the unified voice for the trucking industry in Washington. Member supported, WTA is dedicated to advocating sound public policies, providing excellence in education, training, and information, as well as promoting a safe, dependable, and efficient trucking industry in Washington For more information, visit www.watrucking.org.