III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 130 

Supporting the designation of the week of April 17 to April 21, 2023, 

as ‘‘National Work Zone Awareness Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 28, 2023 

Mr. BRAUN (for himself and Mr. BLUMENTHAL) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the designation of the week of April 17 to April 

21, 2023, as ‘‘National Work Zone Awareness Week’’. 

Whereas 857 work zone fatalities occurred in 2020, according 

to the Federal Highway Administration (referred to in 

this preamble as ‘‘FHWA’’) and the National Highway 

Traffic Safety Administration, under the Department of 

Transportation (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘DOT’’); 

Whereas, of the 857 work zone fatalities that occurred in 

2020— 

(1) 680 fatalities were motor vehicle drivers or passengers; 

(2) 170 fatalities were persons on foot or bicyclists; 

and 

(3) 7 fatalities were listed as occupants of a motor 

vehicle not in transport, unknown occupant type in a 


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•SRES 130 ATS 

motor vehicle in transport, or device and person on personal conveyances; 

Whereas, according to DOT data from 2020 on work zone 

fatal traffic crashes by type— 

(1) 156 crashes involved a rear-end collision; 

(2) 208 involved a commercial motor vehicle; and 

(3) 287 fatalities occurred where speeding was a factor; 

Whereas 156 pedestrian fatalities occurred in work zones in 

2020, according to DOT data; 

Whereas, of the 156 pedestrian fatalities that occurred in 

work zones in 2020— 

(1) 51 fatalities were a construction, maintenance, 

utility, or transportation worker; and 

(2) 105 fatalities were pedestrians other than a construction, maintenance, utility, or transportation worker; 

Whereas the DOT reported that 44,240 people were injured 

due to work zone crashes in 2020; 

Whereas, according to the FHWA, while work zones play a 

critical role in maintaining and upgrading our roads, 

work zones can also be a major cause of congestion, 

delay, and traveler dissatisfaction; 

Whereas, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, trucks and buses have limited maneuverability and large blind spots that make operating in work 

zone areas more challenging, leading to a disproportionate number of work zone crashes involving trucks and 

buses; 

Whereas enforcement of work zone speed limits is shown to 

significantly reduce speeding, aggressive driving, fatalities, and injuries; 


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•SRES 130 ATS 

Whereas work zone crashes and fatalities deeply impact family, friends, and communities; 

Whereas being under the influence of intoxicating substances 

while being behind the wheel of a motor vehicle increases 

the likelihood of intrusions into work zones; and 

Whereas work zone fatalities are at the highest level since 

2006: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the designation of the week of 

3 April 17 to April 21, 2023, as ‘‘National Work Zone 

4 Awareness Week’’; 

5 (2) encourages individuals to educate them6 selves on the value of training and the importance 

7 of best practices in regard to work zone safety; 

8 (3) encourages individuals to practice work zone 

9 safety by— 

10 (A) researching their routes ahead of time 

11 to avoid work zones when possible; 

12 (B) avoiding distractions while driving; 

13 (C) obeying road crew flaggers and being 

14 aware of and obeying all signage throughout 

15 work zones that indicate reduced speeds, lane 

16 changes, and other vital information; 

17 (D) slowing down when entering a work 

18 zone and being vigilant of road workers; 


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•SRES 130 ATS 

1 (E) merging into an open lane when in2 structed to do so when lane closures are present 

3 and slowing down and merging over for first re4 sponders; 

5 (F) maintaining a space cushion when 

6 driving behind other vehicles to avoid rear end 

7 crashes; and 

8 (G) providing towing and recovery profes9 sionals room to facilitate the process of clearing 

10 crashes; 

11 (4) encourages infrastructure owners and oper12 ators to deploy work zone protections and tech13 nologies such as the Work Zone Data Exchange to 

14 make travel on public roads safer for workers and 

15 road users; and 

16 (5) supports the goals and ideals of a ‘‘National 

17 Work Zone Awareness Week’’ to bring further 

18 awareness to worker and driver safety while maneu19 vering a motor vehicle in work zones. 

Æ 


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