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AAA is joining national and regional traffic safety partners in promoting this year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW). This year’s public awareness event, which runs from April 21-25 is themed, ‘Respect the zone so we all get home.’ NWZAW is an annual spring campaign, coinciding with the beginning of the busy construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in work zones to prevent tragedies.
The national event kicks off on April 22, and will include week-long activities, including, Go Orange Day on April 23, when roadway safety professionals across the country are encouraged to wear orange to support work zone safety. NWZAW and Go Orange Day are especially important to the families of victims who have lost their lives in work zones. There will be a Moment of Silence on April 25, in honor of the men and women whose lives have been lost in work zone incidents.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) FARS data, in 2022, 891 people died in work zones, and 37,701 people were injured in work zone crashes. NHTSA defines work zone crashes as occurring “within the boundaries of a work zone or on an approach to or exit from a work zone due to activities, behaviors, or controls related to traffic moving through the boundaries of a work zone.”
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), of the 891 fatalities in 2022:
- 528 were in construction zones
- 305 were in work zones of unknown type
- 49 were in maintenance zones
- 9 were in a utility zone
Work zone deaths reached a high in 2002, at 1,186, according to the NSC. The fewest work zone deaths occurred in 2010, when 586 people died in work zones.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s crash data, there were more than 22,000 work zone crashes in Ohio, or roughly 4,000 each year, between 2020 and 2024. Of that number, 92 crashes were fatal. While many of the victims were highway workers, others were drivers and their passengers. In 2022, 742 drivers and their passengers died in work zones (based on NHTSA FARS data).
“Drivers need to be mindful that work zones are very dangerous for workers and there are many hazards, such as lack of shoulder space and changing lane patterns, that make highway work zones dangerous for drivers, as well,” said Kara Hitchens, spokesperson for AAA. “Slowing down, paying extra attention and moving over if safely possible are especially critical while approaching and driving through work zones, as there is very little margin for error,” she added.
AAA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) offer the following safety tips for drivers:
Research your route. Before traveling, look up the latest traffic conditions on the route you plan to take. Information on active work zones is available from many agency and private-sector websites, apps, and on social media to help you plan your trip, and possibly avoid work zones altogether.
Pay attention.You should always keep your eyes on the road, but this is especially important in work zones. Work zones can change daily, so anticipate new traffic patterns and look out for other drivers and road users. Be aware of all signage throughout work zones that can indicate reduced speeds, lane changes and other important information. Avoid distractions such as your cellphone, eating, drinking, the radio, GPS and conversing with other passengers.
Slow down. Obey posted work zone speed limits, look out for stopped or slow traffic, and maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of you to reduce the risk of crashes with other vehicles and with highway workers. Lane closures, traffic pattern shifts and reduced speeds are common in work zones. Make sure to slow down when entering a work zone and keep an eye out for road workers.
Move into open lane, if safe to do so. When approaching lane closures, move into the open lane as soon as possible. Be sure to pay close attention to vehicles around you that could be in your blind spot.
Be Prepared for Sudden Stops. Work zones sometime cause congestion, delays, and traffic queues. Be alert and watch for sudden stops.
Keep your distance. Rear-end crashes are extremely common in work zones – maintain extra space between your vehicle and the one in front of you at all times.
Be Careful Around Large Vehicles. Large vehicles can be harder to maneuver and slower to respond, so avoid making sudden lane changes in front of trucks or buses and look out for construction vehicles.
Read the Signs. Signs provide guidance to road users of traffic laws or regulations within the work zones. Remember that signs, cones, barrels, and flaggers are there to help you drive safely through the work zone.
AAA Reminds Drivers of Slow Down, Move Over Laws: Roadside Assistance Providers Killed More Often Than Reported
In addition to those providing important traffic safety work to our roads and bridges, AAA also would like to remind drivers of the dangers facing roadside assistance providers. Roadside assistance providers, including tow truck drivers, mobile mechanics, emergency roadside technicians, and safety service patrols also put themselves at risk every day to help others.
“Sadly, roadside assistance providers are struck and killed nearly four times more than reported, according to a study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety,” said Hitchens. AAA Foundation researchers combed through diverse information sources and uncovered 123 roadside assistance providers killed by passing vehicles between 2015 and 2021. This grim figure dwarfs the approximate 34 noted in national crash data. The discrepancy is due to a persistent failure of state crash report forms to capture that crash victims were roadside assistance providers and were instead often recorded as “pedestrians.”
“As drivers, we all must do our part if we are serious about preventing fatal crashes in work zones and at the roadside,” said Hitchens. “The reality is most crashes are preventable when drivers focus on driving, slow down and obey the rules of the road.”
In light of the Foundation for Traffic Safety research, AAA urges action on several fronts:
- Slow Down, Move Over: Reinforce these life-saving laws, reminding drivers to give space to ANYONE (including but not limited to roadside assistance, police, fire, EMS) working on the side of the road. Every ounce of awareness could be the difference between life and death.
In Ohio General Assembly, Rep. Gary Click, R-District 88 and Rep. Mark Johnson , R-District 92, recently introduced House Bill 82 that would increase fines for traffic violations within work zones.
- Shield the Vulnerable: Utilize countermeasures to prevent vehicles from striking workers. The Foundation previously examined vehicle-mounted electronic variable message signs and found them effective at alerting drivers to slow down and move over.
- Train for Survival: Teach roadside workers to prioritize work away from traffic and equip them with strategies to avoid harm’s way. Training for roadside assistance providers should emphasize minimizing time spent on the traffic-facing side of the scene. (Roadside WorkerBROLL can be found here.)
#NWZAW #Orange4Safety #SlowDownMoveOver
