National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 26-30

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and contracting partners across Montana are observing National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) the week of April 26-30. This year’s theme is “Drive Safe. Work Safe. Save Lives.”

NWZAW is in its 21st year and was launched as a public awareness campaign to help the traveling public understand the vital role they play in keeping motorists and roadway workers safe.

During the 2020 construction season, Montana experienced 175 work zone crashes and 61 of those crashes occurred in active work zones. The highest percentage of these crashes take place during peak summer months in Montana. These crashes underscore the need to observe work zone speeds and eliminate distractions when approaching and driving through work zones.

Statistics from the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse show there were 762 fatal crashes in work zones resulting in 842 deaths in 2019. In addition, 135 roadway workers were killed in work zones. The vast majority of people killed in work zones were motorists, passengers and pedestrians. These statistics further demonstrate the importance of work zone safety and participating in NWZAW to spread the message that everyone has a role in getting roadway workers home safely.

MDT is encouraging the public to participate in NWZAW by joining in on Go Orange Day on April 28, a day when individuals are encouraged to wear orange as a visual reminder of work zones. Post photos of you or your family wearing orange on social media using the hashtags #NWZAW, #MontanaGoesOrangeand #GoOrange4Safety.

For the safety of the public and workers, MDT encourages motorists to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, slow down, and use caution through work zones. Current construction information and road conditions can be found on the MDT Travel Info App at https://roadreport.mdt.mt.gov/travinfomobile.