FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (April 22, 2020) – The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) celebrates “Go Orange Day” today, which is the midpoint of National Work Zone Awareness Week, an event that emphasizes the need for diligence when approaching roadway work zones.

While most people remain at home and off the roads because of COVID-19 precautions, ATSSA members and departments of transportation across the country are busy making roadway repairs and taking other steps to advance roadway safety infrastructure. In some states, road projects are accelerating to take advantage of the light traffic.

As National Work Zone Awareness Week begins, the National Transportation Safety Board announced two safety recommendations have been implemented as a result of prior work zone crashes that caused fatalities.

One involved a tractor-trailer that started a chain-reaction collision on Interstate 95 in New Jersey. The other involved a train that struck a backhoe in Pennsylvania. 

National Work Zone Awareness Week begins Monday and though people across the country aren’t using the roads nearly as much these days because of COVID-19, roadway workers are still out there. Their work is deemed essential and continues to put them at risk.

This annual event, which runs from April 20-24, highlights the risks to roadway workers and seeks to heighten attention to common issues such as distracted driving, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said claimed the lives of 2,841 people in 2018 and comes down to three problems: taking our eyes off the road, our hands off the wheel, and our minds off of driving.

ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner says in a video statement that we can put an end to work zone accidents but that means we must all do our part.

National Work Zone Awareness Week will continue as scheduled on April 20-24. However, Michigan officials canceled the April 21 kickoff event in accord with CDC guidelines regarding the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Sunday, the CDC recommended groups not hold gatherings of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks. Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) officials discussed the issue with ATSSA today. It was agreed that MDOT will instead host next year’s event. Virginia DOT had been scheduled to host in 2021 but will now host in 2022.

National Go Orange Day, designated to help raise work zone safety awareness, will celebrate its fourth year on Apr. 10. The event has become a staple of National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW), and is a time for individuals and organizations across the country to express their support for work zone safety by wearing orange.

The National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) passed a resolution recognizing Apr. 8 -12, 2019 as National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW).

The stories of work zone crash victims serve as important reminders that extra caution is necessary when work zones are present. Dennis Shenk, a work zone crash survivor with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said after he finished mowing on a side road, he was struck and injured on the job.

The 19^th annual National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW), happening April 8-12, 2019, will bring national attention to the importance of work zone safety. Each year during NWZAW, public agencies, organizations, and individuals across the country come together to advocate for the women and men who risk their lives in work zones each day to keep our roadways safe. 

The national averages and the lives affected are at the core of why National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) and Go Orange Day began. They’re also a big part of why the public awareness campaign has continued to grow.

As part of the lead up to National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW), and ATSSA members’ continued efforts to advance roadway safety, immediate past chair and president of WorkSafe Traffic Control Industries Debra Ricker testified before the Committee on Transportation in the Vermont House of Representatives.