Emphasis Is On Safety During 'National Work Zone Awareness Week'

With a number of highway projects under way across the state and more on the way this summer, the Arizona Department of Transportation is asking everyone to drive cautiously through work zones, to keep themselves and those at work safe.The tenth annual National Work Zone Awareness Week will be held April 6th through April 10th. The event coordinates every year with the start of the traditional highway construction season across the United States.According to the Federal Highway Administration, 24 people died in crashes within work zones on local streets and on state highways across Arizona in 2007. While that number is less than the 31 work zone-related fatalities recorded in 2006, authorities say the number of deaths would be much lower if drivers took some simple steps."This is already proving to be a busy year for ADOT construction projects, and the addition of numerous economic recovery projects by this summer will visibly increase the number of work zones around Arizona for both maintenance and construction efforts,” said John Halikowski, ADOT’s interim director. “We’re asking drivers to help prevent tragedies by responding to our warning signs and being thoughtfully patient. Remind yourself when you want to ignore the warning and speed limit signs, that there are people who care about you and others out on the road and who want everyone to safely arrive at their destinations.”Four out of five victims in highway work zone crashes are drivers or passengers, and not highway workers."Speed limits are reduced in work zones for a good reason. There's less room for driver error when crews set up work zones," said Floyd Roehrich, ADOT state engineer. "While we obviously want to protect our workers so they can provide you with improved highways, we’re also looking out for you and your loved ones.”ADOT says drivers can do their part by committing to the following safety tips when approaching and traveling through work zones:· Pay attention to signs.· Slow down and observe lower speed limits.· Avoid distractions, including cell phones.· Watch the vehicle ahead of you. Don’t tailgate.· Always buckle up.Crashes come with an obvious human cost, but they also result in unnecessary economic costs by adding to already crowded highways. For more information about ADOT projects and transportation programs, visit azdot.gov.