As infrastructure professionals, we work hard every day to make highway work zones safer. But there is some work we can’t do.
We can’t slide into the passenger seat next to drivers, as they approach a work zone, and remind them their speed or inattention could be deadly. We can’t explain, to every driver who’s running late for an appointment, that the lives of our crew members matter more than their schedule.
Or can we? In a way, National Work Zone Awareness Week gives us a chance to communicate with motorists before they enter our busy work zones this spring and summer. This annual awareness campaign gives us a platform to remind drivers they play a huge role in the safety of our work zones.
The more enthusiastically we, as highway professionals, embrace National Work Zone Awareness Week, the more awareness we can generate. That’s how awareness works. Awareness means capturing people’s attention and helping them see the importance of work zone safety.
This year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week begins on Monday, April 17. The Missouri Department of Transportation serves as our national host. MoDOT hosts a national kick-off event off I-70 near Rocheport on Tuesday, April 18.
But we won’t all need to travel to Missouri to participate. We can plan our own local awareness events, and we can join national efforts such as:
Go Orange Day
Wednesday, April 19, is Go Orange Day. Wearing orange clothes shows our support for work zone safety. To spread the message even farther, post an orange-clad selfie with the hashtags #NWZAW and #Orange4Safety.
Social Media Storm
Speaking of social media, Thursday, April 20, is our day to storm social media platforms with messages about work zone safety. We can post as companies and as individuals. Again, let’s use hashtags #NWZAW and #WorkZoneSafety, and let’s post between 9 am to 4 pm (EDT).
Moment of Silence
This tradition started last year. It’s a way to remember the thousands of people who have died in work zone accidents. Let’s observe this moment of silence at some point during the day on Friday, April 21.
We know National Work Zone Awareness Week can’t replicate a one-on-one conversation with every driver who approaches our work zones, but the more awareness we raise, the closer we can get to that goal.
Please join us in this important work.