National Work Zone Awareness Week: It takes us all to keep our road workers safe

National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is an annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in work zones. This year's NWZAW goes through April 21. Learn more at www.nwzaw.org.

Did you know, in 2021, 956 people died in work zones, including 108 highway worker occupational fatalities in road construction sites. There's a lot that the general public can do to help avoid accidents, including slowing down and moving over with caution, putting down your phone, and always watching out for highway workers in work zones, flashing lights and stalled automobiles.

Work Zone Safety Training Day emphasized the importance of laying the groundwork for safety through training of personnel. See some of those resources HERE, including a webinar: Preventing Stuck-by Incidents: Tips and Strategies.

Are you a highway worker or just love a highway worker? On Thursday, post a picture of your favorite highways worker on social media with the hashtags: #NWZAW, #Orange4Safety, #MoveOverOH and #OCSEA. Additionally, there will be a moment of silence for those union brothers and sisters we've lost, and all victims of highways accidents, on Friday, April 21 at 9 a.m.