Drivers and car occupants suffer four out of five fatalities in U.S. highway work zones. For some reason, safety experts say, that statistic has more power to get drivers to ease up on the accelerator in work zones than any concern they may have for the lives and safety of construction workers.

“You can set up the best possible work zone from an engineering and enforcement perspective, but the one thing you can’t control is the driver speeding through the zone or driving in an inattentive fashion,” says Jennifer Gavin, deputy director of communications for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. She says that’s why the push during the eighth annual, National Work Zone Awareness Week, under way now, is to remind the driving public of the consequences of not exercising proper vigilance and adhering to posted speed limits in work zones. The message is, “A work zone is really a place of heightened risk…” and not just for construction workers, she says.

Signs of Change” is this year’s campaign theme.

Work zone fatalities are increasing. They have risen 40% between 1997 and 2005, according to the Federal Highway Administration. In 2005, there were 1,074 work zone fatalities—2.5% of all roadway fatalities for the year. Increasing construction activity is a contributing factor, officials say.

The rise in work zone incidents tracks against an overall downward trend in highway fatalities and injuries. In 2005, nearly 2.7 million people were injured and 43, 443 people were killed on U.S. highways. That equals 1.46 deaths per 100 million miles of travel, which is significantly lower than the 5.5 deaths per 100 million miles of travel rate in 1996, but not low enough, highway safety officials say.

While work zone fatalities and incidents have risen from year to year, “there has been a ramping up of work being done,” says AASHTO’s Gavin. “We have a national highway system that is aging and heavily used and, over the last 12 years, a couple of national funding bills that have allowed us to get out there and plan these projects.” Consequently, exposure to work zones has increased, and that will continue in the future, she says.

“It will take a three-part effort,” says Gavin. “Engineering has to be strong. Enforcement has to be applied as broadly as possible within budget constraints. And, finally, we’ve got to get across to drivers that this isn’t somebody else’s problem, and they are in control of it.”

National Work Zone Awareness Week is part of a coordinated effort to improve work zone safety through engineering, education, enforcement and coordination with public safety agencies. In addition to AASHTO, participating groups include the Federal Highway Administration, American Road and Transportation Builders Association, the American Traffic Safety Services Association, Texas Transportation Institute, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the National Utility Contractors Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Association of County Engineers, the American Public Works Association, the Governors Highway Safety Association and many state departments of transportation.

This year’s kickoff event was hosted by the Virginia Dept. of Transportation, where the concept originated in 1997. It all began on a sleepless night a decade ago, when Allan Sumpter, then in charge of operations in the Bristol district of VDOT, conceived of the idea of designating a week to remind VDOT employees and the public about work zone safety. “I was responsible for a pretty large construction program getting ready to start up that included about 30 projects in several work zones,” Sumpter says. “I felt like, with all those projects, we needed to do something to heighten awareness.”

Sumpter’s department organized radio public service announcements and message boards posted along work zone areas, encouraging motorists to reduce speed and exercise caution. The campaign also urged the public to tie orange ribbons to their vehicle antennas and drive with their headlights on as visual reminders of work zone safety. The event grew statewide in 1998 and became a national campaign in 1999. “About 46 states are now observing National Work Zone Awareness Week, and, as time goes on, it has been made better,” Sumpter says.

SAFETY TIPS

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED Normal speed limits may be reduced, traffic lanes may be changed, and people may be working on or near the road. SLOW DOWN Speeding is one of the major causes of work zone crashes. DON'T TAILGATE Keep a safe distance between you and the car ahead of you.The most common crash in a highway work zone is the rear end collision. GIVE ROOM Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the construction workers and their equipment. PAY ATTENTION TO SIGNS The warning signs are there to help you and other drivers move safely through the work zone. Observe the posted signs until you see the one that says you've left the work zone. OBEY FLAGGERS The road crew flagger knows what is best for moving traffic safely in the work zone. A flagger has the same authority as a regulatory sign, so you can be cited for disobeying his or her directions. STAY ALERT AND MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS Dedicate your full attention to the roadway and avoid changing radio stations or using cell phones while driving in a work zone. KEEP UP WITH THE TRAFFIC FLOW Motorists can help maintain traffic flow and posted speeds by merging as soon as possible. Don't drive right up to the lane closure and then try barge in. SCHEDULE ENOUGH TIME AND GET INFO Expect delays and leave early so you can reach your destination on time. Check the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse - for information on work zone delays throughout the country. Check radio, TV and other websites for traffice information. BE PATIENT AND STAY CALM Work zones aren't there to personally inconvenience you. Remember, the work zone construction crews are working to improve the road and make your future drive better.

Source: National Work Zone Awareness Week, Federal Highway Administration

In 2003, VDOT partnered with the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance to bring the message of work zone safety to teenage drivers through high schools. “Nearly 93,000 teens have heard the message since the program’s inception,” says Sande Snead, with VDOT’s office of public affairs.

The best way to gauge the success of such programs is to monitor whether the number of fatalities and injuries decreases, Snead says. Unfortunately, Virginia doesn’t show such a decrease. It had 17 work zone fatalities in 2006, up from 14 in 2005.

Following VDOT’s example of getting the message out early, in Louisiana managers of the states’ $4.7 billion Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development program launched “TIMED to Drive Safe,” an educational program committed to reaching nearly 5,000 students at 45 high schools located along state highways affected by the TIMED construction program, which includes four-laning 536 miles of highways, among other projects.

“We have so many projects in the state with so many miles of highway work in the TIMED program that we wanted to use the opportunity of National Work Zone Awareness Week to reach more kids than ever, and more communities,” says Jennifer Mestayer, TIMED to Drive Safe spokesperson. “The number-one killer of American teenagers is car crashes, and statistically, teen drivers are at the greatest risk for being injured or injuring others while driving through work zone areas.”

The Mississippi Dept. of Transportation is using the Work Zone Awareness week to also encourage people to get fit, as well as exercise work zone safety, by hosting a Walk for Work Zone Safety April 5 at the state’s Capitol in Jackson.

“The walk is different from anything we’ve done before,” says Lisa Siegel, media and community relations manager for MDOT. “We felt like since Mississippi is one of the states recognized for the highest rate of obesity, we wanted to get fit while we were doing this.” In years past, the highway department has hosted advertising campaigns, including radio spots and a press conference. The Walk for Work Zone Safety was held at lunchtime is expected to attract about 400 participants.

Sumpter says the idea that his sleepless night’s ponderings have evolved into an annual, national event has “been a little overwhelming sometimes,” he says. “The bottom line is that we are doing whatever we can do to make people aware these work zones are out there and try to do something to preserve lives. That’s what it’s really about. I hope this will be something that will help save a life somewhere along the way.”