Statistics from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
reveal over 1,000 lives are lost each year in roadway work zones. Surprisingly,
the overwhelming majority of those deaths are motorists, not the workers
themselves. This is a fact that is often a surprise to the media and the
motoring public, as the majority of the general public assumes the workers
themselves are the ones at the highest risk in work zones.
Work zones are not only a dangerous place, they are a way of
life for motorists. As America's roadways continue to age, the business of upgrading
and maintaining roads will go on indefinitely. Therefore, it is important that
they take work zones seriously and recognize that they are at risk of injury or
death when passing through them.
"There are many causes for work-zone fatalities and injuries,"
said Roger Wentz, executive director of the American Traffic Safety Services
Association (ATSSA), headquartered in Fredericksburg, Va.
"Driver fatigue, excessive speed, driver distractions,
aggressive driving. These are just a handful of contributors for senseless
accidents," said Wentz.
Motorists can expect a roadway work zone roughly every 50
miles they travel, and even more so in and around metropolitan areas.
"Work zones are in fact a way of life for American
motorists, now and in the foreseeable future," said Wentz. "They are
not going away."
Work zones are justified and ever-present for a variety of
reasons, not only to perform the ongoing maintenance on aging roadways, but for
new construction projects designed to accommodate an ever-increasing number of
vehicles and motorists that take to the roadways every year.
"Regarding the older roadways," Wentz said,
"the majority of roadways in America were built in the 1950s. Many of
these roads lack common safety features found on modern roadways, such as
bright signs, guardrails and reflective striping. These devices not only help
save lives, but they help keep the driver informed, and when this occurs,
traffic flows smoother, there are less accidents and travel times are cut considerably."
First of many
ATSSA's first Work Zone Awareness Week event was held in
Springfield, Va., in April 2000. The ceremony occurred near a work zone,
adjacent to I-95, just south of Washington, D.C.
This event featured a family from North Carolina whose
18-year-old son --a work-zone worker--was killed in a work zone one week after
he joined his company.
By the time plans were under way for the 2001 event, over 40
interested partners had joined the cause. ATSSA members and others were taking
the issue to elected officials, to law enforcement, to schools and to other
agencies and organizations. The momentum of this event continued for weeks, as
similar events were held in a variety of locations across the country during
National Work Zone Awareness Week.
In April 2001, the second annual event to recognize
work-zone injuries and fatalities was held in Washington, D.C. Over 800 orange
work-zone cones were set on a hill near the Washington Monument--each
representing a work-zone fatality for the previous calendar year. This event
drew massive media and public attention as well, in the center of one of the
busiest tourist areas of the country.
Following this event, ATSSA recognized the need to keep the
issue of work-zone safety in the public's eye year-round.
"National Work Zone Awareness Week was just that--one
week," said Wentz. "The doors for dialogue and awareness were open,
interest in this issue was high and ATSSA felt it was necessary, no, our
responsibility, to find a unique way to keep this issue alive all year."
With that in mind, ATSSA created the National Work Zone
Memorial--a traveling monument dedicated to men, women and children killed in
work zones.
The Memorial is 28 ft long and nearly 8 ft tall at the
highest point. Materials used to
construct the memorial are those that are actually found on America's
roadways--bright reflective orange and white sign "sheeting" and
other materials.
"Just looking at the memorial, you can easily recognize
a roadway theme," said Wentz. "The memorial depicts a subtle roadway,
and various signs for the motorist make up the background."
ATSSA has already compiled names for the memorial from as
far back as the 1950s. Nearly 800 names were gathered the first year alone, and
the gathering of names will continue for years to come. Each year, the memorial
will be upgraded to include more names.
Memorial unveiled
The memorial was unveiled and dedicated in April 2002 by
Congressman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) in ceremonies held April 9 in Capital
Heights, Md. Local and national media outlets covered the event, and as a
result of that coverage, the ceremony, and more importantly the issue of
work-zone safety, appeared in
nearly 60 media outlets nationwide.
"This media effort substantially helped in getting the
message to the public in communities around the country," Wentz said.
Again, on hand at the April 2002 ceremony were family
members of those killed in work zones. Some of them took to the podium to
address the audience and told chilling personal and emotional stories of their tragic
losses.
Following the dedication ceremony, the memorial traveled to
more than a dozen locations across the country. It has been featured at new
construction projects, at fairs, in the halls of state capitals and in various
state DOT events and activities.
At each of these events, the issue of work-zone safety was
highlighted and discussed, while those lost in work- zones were remembered and
recognized. More than 20 locations across the country are already planned for
the 2003 season.
"Regarding the gathering of names, we have a long way
to go," said Wentz.
"Nine hundred names compiled in one year was a
significant first step, but there are many more names to be added over the
years. That is why this project will be ongoing for the unforeseen future."
To accommodate the large number of names expected in the
future, the memorial was designed to allow for the inclusion of additional
panels to be easily added as needed.
Unique icons in six specific categories identify the names
appearing on the memorial. The categories are:
*Pedestrian;
*Work-zone worker;
*Motorist;
*Law enforcement officer;
*Public safety official; and
*Child.
The names appear horizontally across the panels. At the top
of each panel is a highway number. The names are then located by lane and then
by row.
Memorial recognized
In late October, the memorial was selected for a 2002
American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) "Roadway
Work-Zone Safety Awareness Award" in the "Private Outreach
Campaigns" category. This category recognizes the efforts of national,
state and local private-sector organizations, such as construction companies,
utility companies or trade associations, that promote roadway work-zone safety
through implementation of employee or public education campaigns and training
programs.
"We are very proud to be honored with ARTBA's
distinguished award," said Wentz. "It confirms our desire and success
in taking the issue of work-zone safety and awareness to the public in a
memorable, dignified and meaningful way." TME
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