National Work Zone Awareness Week 2021 brings attention to worker safety

This weeks marks the 2021 National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW), an event designed to bring national attention to motorist and worker safety and mobility issues in work zones.

Since 1999, FHWA has worked with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) to coordinate and sponsor the event. The first national event was held at a work zone in Springfield, Virginia in April 2000. Over the years, other transportation partners have joined the effort to support NWZAW. In addition to a national event conducted each year, many states host their own NWZAW events.

This year, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is hosting the 2021 National Work Zone Awareness Week kick-off event on April 27 with the theme, "Drive Safe. Work Safe. Save Lives." The themed poster features a vehicle driving along a winding road surrounded by work zone technologies that make work zones safer for workers and motorists.

MDOT expounded more on this year's theme:

• Drive Safe: A reminder that work zones need everyone’s undivided attention. When approaching a work zone, motorists should always slow down, follow all posted signs, be alert, and remain calm. Risky driving behavior affects more than just the driver—everyone’s lives and families are at stake.
• Work Safe: Technology is helping to make work zones safer by collecting data and automating processes, which can remove workers from dangerous situations and provide motorists with important information. It is also a reminder that work zone safety begins with workers who are dedicated to safety. 
• Save Lives: If we ALL work together, we can achieve zero deaths on our roads and in our work zones!

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SOURCE: FHWA / Michigan DOT