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.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Engineering and Technology granted a 21-day extension of the deadline for submitting replies to comments regarding a proposed rule change regarding the 5.9 GHz band, also commonly referred to as the "safety spectrum."

The new deadline of April 27 resulted from the extensive comments submitted and disruptions caused by COVID-19.

ATSSA is "steadfastly opposed" to the Federal Communication Commission's plan to reallocate a portion of the 5.9 GHz band of spectrum to other uses out of concerns for "safety and security," President & CEO Roger Wentz said in a statement filed this week with the Federal Register.

People have until March 9 to submit comments and until April 6 to post replies to the proposal, first announced by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai at a Nov. 20 meeting with Citizens Against Government Waste, New America’s Open Technology Institute, and WifiForward.

Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) initiatives are basic plans that connect roadway users, the road, and work zones and allow for effective communication. They are vital to advancing roadway safety and countering common challenges such as congestion, traffic delays, and crashes.