Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-09-011
Date: March 2009

Drive to Survive-Our Future is Riding on It

In 2007, 835 workers and motorists were killed in highway work zones and more than 40,000 were injured. Eighty-five percent of those killed in work zones are drivers or their passengers. The message for motorists during National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) 2009, scheduled for April 6-10, is "Drive to Survive-Our Future is Riding on It!"

The tenth annual NWZAW will be observed by supporters from coast to coast, including State transportation departments, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), American Road and Transportation Builders Association, Associated General Contractors of America, and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

NWZAW was created in 1999 when FHWA, ATSSA, and AASHTO signed a Memorandum of Agreement pledging to increase public awareness of work zone safety issues through a national media campaign. From billboard messages to public service announcements to outreach to high school students, the goal of the week is to remind the traveling public how they can help keep everyone in a work zone safe.

NWZAW 2009 will kick off with an event on April 7 near the Boundary Channel Humpback Bridge Replacement Project, which is located at the George Washington Memorial Parkway and I-395 between Washington, DC, and Virginia. As more details of the event become available, they will be posted online at www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/wz_awareness.htm.

Information on FHWA's work zone safety and mobility resources is available at safety.fhwa.dot.gov/wz and www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz. These resources include a collection of work zone best practices in areas such as prediction, modeling, and impact assessment; planning and programming; contracting and bidding procedures; project design; public relations and outreach; and many others that have been effectively used throughout the United States. Information on these best practices is available at www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/practices/practices.htm.

Three dozen doves were released at the conclusion of a National Work Zone Awareness Week 2008 kickoff event in Sacramento, CA (above).

FHWA also offers a Work Zone Safety and Mobility Peer-to-Peer (P2P) program. The program matches agencies with experienced transportation professionals who can provide insight on how to address common challenges in implementing work zone management strategies. Assistance is available in such areas as safety and mobility; planning and programming; specifications, methods, and practices; incident management; intelligent transportation systems and innovative technology; and public relations, education, and outreach. There is no cost to participate in the program. To be matched with a peer, call 866-P2P-FHWA (866-727-3492), or send an email to WorkZoneP2P@dot.gov.

This year's events will focus on the theme, "Drive to Survive-Our Future is Riding on It!"

An additional valuable source of work zone safety information is the online National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse (www.workzonesafety.org). The site includes details on training, standards and practices, safety products, and laws and regulations.

For more information about NWZAW 2009, visit www.atssa.com or www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/wz_awareness.htm. To learn more about FHWA's work zone safety resources, contact Ken Epstein at FHWA, 202-366-2288 (email: kenneth.epstein@fhwa.dot.gov); or Chung Eng at FHWA, 202-366-8043 (email: chung.eng@fhwa.dot.gov).

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