For many motorists, the first word that comes to mind when encountering a highway construction work zone is delay. The word that should come to mind is caution.

Each April, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) joins with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), national transportation associations and numerous other state DOTs for National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) to remember victims and to raise awareness of safety precautions for workers and motorists in work zones. This year, NWZAW will be observed April 19-23.

Work zones can be hazardous for motorists as well as highway crews working to improve Texas’ highways. TxDOT maintains approximately 80,000 miles of highway with more than 1,000 construction or maintenance projects underway at any given time. With so much construction, it is all too common for motorists to encounter work zones.

• In 2008, 175 people were killed in highway construction and maintenance zones in Texas.
• More than four out of every five work zone fatalities are motorists traveling through the work zone.
• Thirty-four percent of all work zone fatalities for 2008 were drug and alcohol-related.
• In 2008, 71 percent of work zone fatalities were male.
• One in three work zone crashes is a rear-end collision.

“Speed and inattention are the leading causes of work zone crashes,” said Fred Underwood, Texas Transportation Commissioner. “Each of us has the power to protect and save lives. We just need to put our cell phones down, stop messing with the radio and focus on driving. As a result, we can reduce the number of fatalities that occur in work zones.”

Underwood said everyone should take responsibility for work zone safety, from engineers and planners to drivers and pedestrians. For more information about work zone safety or to download our newest Public Service Announcement, go to www.txdot.gov, search work zone.

The Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining nearly 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, rail and public transportation across the state. TxDOT and its approximately 12,000 employees strive to empower local leaders to solve local transportation problems, and to use new financial tools, including tolling and public-private partnerships, to reduce congestion and pave the way for future economic growth while enhancing safety, improving air quality and increasing the value of the state’s transportation assets. Find out more at www.txdot.gov.