Work Zone Awareness Week Emphasizes Highway Construction Safety April 9-13

Work Zone Awareness Week is held nationally to remind motorists about the dangers of driving carelessly near highway construction zones. It is critical for drivers to pay attention in work areas. A vehicle traveling 60 miles per hour can cover 1,500 feet in 17 seconds. Highway construction is on the rise around the nation, and so are work zone fatalities. Ten years ago, work zone related accidents caused 680 deaths in the United States. That number jumped to 868 in 1999. In Idaho, 15 lives were claimed between 1995-1999 in work zone accidents. Construction expenditures in Idaho almost doubled from $131.6 million in 1994 to $259.7 million in 2000. This effort to improve Idaho’s highways, bridges and interstates benefits motorists who travel through the state. But it also makes work zone safety a higher priority.