(WWJ) – It’s time for drivers to “do their part” to make work zones safer for road construction workers in Michigan, as there were a number of close calls overnight.
Diane Cross with the Michigan Department of Transportation, tells WWJ there were three or four construction zones across the state that saw drivers crash or hit barrels due to speeding, distracted driving or failure to read signs.
No workers were injured in any of the incidents, Cross says, but drivers need to be more careful in work zones.
It’s a scene all too familiar for many construction workers, Cross says.
Just last year, three workers were killed by drivers in Michigan construction zones, while 65 others were injured, according to MDOT. Officials say 28 drivers were killed in crashes in work zones in 2021.
This weekend’s close calls come on the eve of National Work Zone Awareness Week, which runs Monday-Friday in an effort to make the roads safer for workers.
“The number one thing for safety is for drivers to do their part and that is to slow down and focus only on driving when you’re behind the wheel,” Cross said live on WWJ Sunday morning.
She says drivers are protected by thousands of lbs. of steel, glass, airbags and seatbelts, while workers aren’t as lucky.
“That worker out there might have, at best, a barrel, hopefully a concrete barrier wall, if possible. But drivers need to do their part,” she said.
The push to make sure drivers are slowing down in construction zones includes a call to action on Wednesday, as MDOT is asking everyone to wear orange, in hopes of spreading awareness.
“Everybody wearing orange will hopefully make everybody talk about it and remember that you need to do your part and slow down for our workers as they’re just trying to do their jobs. We all wanna get home at night,” Cross said.
More information on National Work Zone Awareness Week and other tips on safety can be found at workzonesafety.org.
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