Work Zone Awareness Week honors 61 WSDOT employees killed on the job

This week, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), along with the Washington State Patrol (WSP), addressed the importance of safety on our state’s highways. Every April, WSDOT promotes a month-long Work Zone Safety Awareness campaign, reminding drivers of the importance of slowing down through work zones.

Last year, WSDOT and WSP saw a 17% increase in work zone crashes compared to the previous year, rising from 1,377 in 2023 to 1,607 in 2024. The largest increase was seen in serious injury crashes, which rose by 36 percent during the past year, with the vast majority of those injuries involving drivers and passengers.

Since 1950, there have been 61 work zone-related deaths, with distracted driving, excessive speed, and following too closely reported as the top three causes. The WSDOT campaign reminds drivers that the safety concern isn’t solely about contract workers on the ground; it also includes members of the WSP and the Incident Response Team (IRT) lending help to drivers.

WSDOT Secretary of Transportation Julie Meredith said giving traffic crews the space they need can make all the difference.

“Our incidents response teams are the helpers of our agency, the ones who show up on someone’s very bad day and help turn it around, whether they’re clearing a stalled vehicle, providing traffic control for an incident, or offering a reassuring presence while aid arrives, they make a real difference every day,” she shared. “As secretary, nothing is more important to me than safety, the safety of our crews, our contractors, our first responders, and also the traveling public.”

Meredith added that she is pleased with the launch of the new work zone speed camera program.

“I’m very happy to have launched our work zone speed camera program earlier this month. This program is about changing driver behavior and keeping everyone safe in our work zones. Every year, too many of our crew are faced with making split-second decisions because of driver inattention, speeding, or reckless behavior,” she said. “Today, we remember those 61 WSDOT employees who have lost their lives working to keep our roads open, our transportation systems running, and our communities connected.”

Speed Camera Program highlighted during Work Zone Awareness Week

The Work Zone Speed Camera Program is the first of its kind in Washington State, debuting near Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), where a high volume of high-risk drivers have been reported through a major work zone in the area. Five more cameras are expected to roll out through the summer, with a total of 15 cameras by 2027.

Dennis Smith, WSDOT IRT Superintendent, spoke on behalf of his team, stating how important it is to respect road crews as they are our neighbors and friends.

“Every single day, our incident response team puts themselves in harm’s way so the rest of us can get home safely, because behind every safety vest, every incident response truck is a real person. These aren’t just operators. They’re parents, coaches. They are neighbors,” Smith said. “They volunteer in your schools, shop in the same grocery stores, and cheer from the sidelines at Little League games, just like you. And every time they step out onto a highway to clear a crash or help a driver, they are trusting the rest of us to look out for them.”

In 2024, Smith shared some figures about his IRT team, noting that in the northwest region alone, 42 team members handled 25,721 incidents. These operators often work just feet from traffic moving at 60 to 70 miles per hour. They cover some of the state’s busiest highways, including I-5, I-405, I-90, and state routes 167 and 18, patrolling thousands of lane miles throughout the area. They’re always on call—24/7.

80 WSP vehicles hit by drivers in 2024

Lieutenant Noel of the Washington State Patrol highlighted the dangers troopers face throughout the state.

“Just last year, 80 of our patrol vehicles were hit by drivers, causing about $750,000 in damages. Out of those, 37 were parked in what qualifies as emergency work zones. That number may sound high, but it only represents a small piece of the broader issue of work zone safety,” said Noel. “We’re proud of our partnership with the State Department of Transportation, and together we’re committed to protecting these zones—but we can’t do it on our own. We rely on the public to slow down and stay alert.

Our strategy focuses on three key areas: raising awareness through events like this, educating drivers through ‘move over’ campaigns, and enforcing the laws that require drivers to either slow down by 10 miles per hour below the speed limit or safely move over when approaching work zones.”

He concluded by saying, “We need everyone’s cooperation to protect these workers. They’re more than just workers—they’re our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors. They’re real people, and it takes a team effort to ensure their safety.”

WSDOT’s month-long Work Zone Safety Awareness campaign includes:

• National Work Zone Awareness Week: April 21–25 also recognizes the start of the busy construction season and encourages drivers to be attentive and drive safely through work zones.
• Go Orange Day: Wednesday, April 23, WSDOT employees will don orange-colored attire as part of the national safety campaign.
• National Moment of Silence: At 9 a.m. on Friday, April 25, WSDOT will take part in a moment of silence to remember the people who lost their lives in work zone-related incidents.

Nate Connors is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Follow him on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

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