The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is joining other transportation departments across the county to mark National Work Zone Awareness Week after surveys showed that hundreds of people died just in 2020 due to work zone crashes.
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National Work Zone Awareness Week will comprise of a week dedicated to reminding drivers to pay extra attention near or at work zones, a spokesperson for ODOT said.
“It’s important that drivers remember to look out for the safety of our road crews as they work hard to keep our streets and highways safe,” Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said. “Paying attention, slowing down, and giving crews room to work are simple steps that all drivers can take to prevent tragedies in our work zones.”
Nationally, 857 people, including 117 workers, were killed in 774 total deadly work zone crash in 2020.
In Ohio, 23 people, none of them workers, died from 21 deadly work zone crashes in the same year. However, the number of total crashes near or at work zones was sharply higher, totaling 4,628.
In 2022, the Ohio State Highway Patrol wrote 4,477 work zone citations with 35 percent of them being for speeds exceeding 20 mph over the speed limit.
“Too many of these work zone crashes are the result of drivers not paying attention, speeding, or following the vehicle in front of them too closely,” ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks said. “It is imperative that drivers give extra attention to the road in work zones and obey the speed limits and other signs so that everyone makes it home safe at the end of the day.”
This year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week will be themed “Work With Us,” hosted by the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Wednesday will be Go Orange Day. The public is encouraged to wear orange to show awareness for work zone safety and support for road workers. The department requests photos be shared on social media using hashtag #NWZAW and #Orange4Safety.
Thursday will feature a push on social media. Organizations, companies, institutions, and individuals are asked to share safety messages and use hashtags #NWZAW and #WorkZoneSafety.
The week will conclude with a moment of silence on Friday.
John Pasko, the last ODOT employee killed on the job, was hit on March 15, 2018 while clearing brush along Interstate 680 in Mahoning County. He was the 162nd name added to the ODOT Worker Memorial.
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