Supporting the designation of the week of April 17 to April 21, 2023, as National Work Zone Awareness Week.

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 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 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; 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 That the Senate (1) supports the designation of the week of April 17 to April 21, 2023, as National Work Zone Awareness Week (2) encourages individuals to educate themselves on the value of training and the importance of best practices in regard to work zone safety; (3) encourages individuals to practice work zone safety by (A) researching their routes ahead of time to avoid work zones when possible; (B) avoiding distractions while driving; (C) obeying road crew flaggers and being aware of and obeying all signage throughout work zones that indicate reduced speeds, lane changes, and other vital information; (D) slowing down when entering a work zone and being vigilant of road workers; (E) merging into an open lane when instructed to do so when lane closures are present and slowing down and merging over for first responders; (F) maintaining a space cushion when driving behind other vehicles to avoid rear end crashes; and (G) providing towing and recovery professionals room to facilitate the process of clearing crashes; (4) encourages infrastructure owners and operators to deploy work zone protections and technologies such as the Work Zone Data Exchange to make travel on public roads safer for workers and road users; and (5) supports the goals and ideals of a National Work Zone Awareness Week

Summary: This resolution supports designating the week of April 17-21, 2023, as National Work Zone Awareness Week and encourages individuals to practice work zone safety.