Steve Olson,
WisDOT Office of Public Affairs
(608) 261-5896,
steven.olson@dot.wi.gov
Gov. Walker proclaims April 23-27 as Work Zone Awareness week in Wisconsin
To help prevent traffic crashes in road construction work zones that injure and kill motorists and workers, Governor Scott Walker has proclaimed the week of April 23-27 as Work Zone Awareness Week in Wisconsin.
Governor Walker’s proclamation notes that “construction and maintenance of our streets, highways and utility infrastructure are critical to our state’s economic vitality and keeping the state open for business.”
The proclamation also reminds drivers that “work zones often require narrowed lanes, lane shifts, temporary pavements, reduced speeds and night work” and advises that “driving through work zones requires motorists’ utmost attention.”
Last year, there were more than 1,700 work zone crashes in Wisconsin that caused eight deaths and nearly 750 injuries, 71 of which were serious, according to preliminary statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT).
“Driving through a work zone is challenging under the best of circumstances, but your reaction time and margin for error are reduced significantly if you speed, tailgate or don’t pay attention to rapidly changing traffic situations. Rear-end collisions are the most frequent type of crash in a work zone,” says WisDOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb. “In work zones, workers and equipment often are operating within a few feet of traffic. Although construction workers are at a great risk of being hit, about three out of four people killed in work zone crashes are motorists. Because of the risks to motorists and workers, traffic fines are double in work zones. By preventing work zone crashes, we can make progress toward the goal of zero preventable traffic deaths in Wisconsin.”
