Did you know that April 11th kicked off National Work Zone Awareness week (NWZAW)? We dedicate this week to talking about safety in highway work zones. In a 2021 survey, about 60% of highway contractors reported crashes in their work zones. Between 2013 and 2019, work zone fatalities increased by 42% and in 2020, despite lower traffic volumes, work zone crashes and fatalities continued to rise. According to workzonesafety.org, 857 people were killed in 774 fatal work zone crashes in 2020 so as you can see, taking extra caution while driving in work zones is extremely important.

Events happening during NWZAW include:

Work Zone Safety Training Day (Monday, April 11)

Companies are encouraged to lead safety demonstrations, conduct hazard recognition, and fall preventions training, and facilitate discussions about safety policies, hazards, other prevention steps and company policies and safety goals.

National Kickoff Event (Tuesday, April 12)

Hosted by the Virginia Department of Transportation, the 2022 NWZAW kickoff event will be held near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion Project in Virginia with the theme “Work Zones are a Sign to Slow Down.” The event starts at 1:30 p.m. at the Fort Monroe Continental Gazebo and will also be live streamed on YouTube.

Go Orange Day (Wednesday, April 13)

The 7th annual National Go Orange Day is designed to raise work zone safety awareness and gives people across the country the opportunity to show their support for work zone safety by wearing orange. You can show your support and participation in Go Orange Day by sharing your photos on social media with the hashtags #NWZAW and #Orange4Safety.

Social Media Storm (Thursday, April 14)

On this day, organizations and individuals are encouraged to take to social media to spread awareness about work zone safety. Use the hashtags #NWZAW and #WorkZoneSafety on your favorite social media platforms between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET.

Moment of Silence (Friday, April 15).

This event is new for 2022. Its intention is to give people the opportunity to remember those who lost their lives in a work zone incident.

You can also check the NWZAW website for local events happening in your area.

Work Zone Safety Tips

– Stay alert and minimize your distractions

– Turn on your headlights to increase visibility

– Leave enough space between you and the vehicle ahead

– Drive the posted speed limits

– Be patient and stay calm

– Expect the unexpected

At Carter, safety is always our priority. We’ll be spending this week focusing on work zone safety with our team. How will you be participating in NWZAW?

For more information follow the link: https://www.nwzaw.org/