WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy provided the keynote address, via video, at the kick-off event for National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW). North Carolina Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins, officials from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and other state and transportation officials gathered in Raleigh to commemorate the annual safety event, taking place this year from April 21-25. This year’s theme, “Respect the Zone So We All Get Home,” underscores how critical it is for drivers to make safety a priority when driving through work zones as highway workers risk their lives every day to improve the nation’s transportation system.  

“Safety is my top priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “On behalf of the Trump Administration and USDOT, I’m honored to support National Work Zone Awareness Week. Together, we can usher in a golden age of travel while making our work zones – and our – roadways – safe for everybody.” 

As construction season ramps up, FHWA is reminding drivers to slow down in and near work zones on highways and roadways to help prevent fatalities where crews are on the job. The public awareness campaign is held annually each spring to focus national attention on work zone safety and to encourage safe driving behavior in and around work zones. As a show of support for highway workers, FHWA and its NWZAW partners are urging the public to wear orange on Wednesday, April 23, for this year’s national “Go Orange” Day. 

“Everyone plays a role in work zone safety,” said Gloria M. Shepherd, Executive Director of the Federal Highway Administration. “Highway workers face some of the toughest conditions because their jobs require them to work in areas very close to high-speed traffic. By staying alert, drivers can help workers do their jobs safely and arrive home when their work is done.”  

From 2021 to 2023, work zone fatalities decreased by nearly 7 percent according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. The FHWA will continue to help improve safety in work zones to sustain this trend; however, despite some progress, the number of fatalities in work zones remains unacceptable. 

Consider this: 

• In 2023, 899 people died in work zone crashes. 
• In 2022, the most current year for which data is available on the causes of crashes in work zones:  
  • 34 percent of fatal work zone crashes involved speed as a factor; 
  • 21 percent of all fatal work zone crashes involved rear-end collisions; and, 
  • 30 percent involved commercial motor vehicles including large trucks and buses. 

FHWA is encouraging drivers to do their part to help reduce the number of fatalities further by reminding those behind the wheel that crashes in highway work zones happen most frequently when drivers are speeding or aren’t paying attention to changing road conditions. 

FHWA is also urging drivers to take the following actions to improve work zone safety for everyone: 

• Avoid distractions by putting down the phone and focusing on driving safely. 
• Obey posted speed limits through work zones. 
• Be aware of workers who are in construction areas close to travel lanes.  
• Watch for pedestrians and bicyclists. 
• Give commercial motor vehicles extra space in work zones because narrowed lanes, unexpected lane shifts and longer braking distances are challenges for large vehicles. 
• Find another route, where possible, to avoid work zones.  
• Follow detours and pay attention to signs displaying active work zones.  

You can find more data on work zone fatalities, including state-level data, at the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, operated by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute in coordination with FHWA. 

Since 1999, FHWA has worked with the American Traffic Safety Services Association and other organizations to coordinate and sponsor National Work Zone Awareness Week. Many states also host their own NWZAW events.  

FHWA’s Work Zone Safety Grant Program has been used to train more than 125,000 field workers, and state, local and tribal personnel through nearly 4,700 courses. 

For more information on this year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week, visit National Work Zone Awareness Week - FHWA Work Zone (dot.gov), follow @USDOTFHWA on Twitter, and use hashtags #NWZAW, #Orange4Safety and #OrangeForSafety. 

# # #