The Michigan Department of Transportation is kicking off National Work Zone Awareness Week to warn drivers about the dangers of driving through construction zones.
This year's theme is "Work zone safety is in your hands."
The transportation department says there were nearly 5,000 work zone crashes last year that killed 17 people and seriously injured 75.
Bob Kamp was apart of a road construction crew when he was hit by a car six years ago. His injuries were severe enough that he had to learn to walk and perform basic functions from scratch.
Now, he and his wife Cyndi are part of a group urging drivers to slow down in work zones.
I was able to talk to Ralph French who works on the roads everyday, and he said hearing about the crashes scared him.
"That was kind of scary for everybody that works down here. Our heart goes out to them,"he said.
MDOT spokesman, John Richard, said there were more than four thousand crashes in work zones last year -- almost all of them because drivers weren't paying attention.
A social media campaign Wednesday will promote support for the work zone safety week. Participants can share a photo on social media of them wearing orange and using the hashtags #Orange4Safety and #NWZAW.
National Work Zone Awareness Week began in 2000 as part of the Toward Zero Deaths national safety campaign.
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DETROIT (AP) - The Michigan Department of Transportation is kicking off National Work Zone Awareness Week to warn drivers about the dangers of driving through construction zones.
WXYZ-TV reports that this year's theme is "Work zone safety is in your hands."
The transportation department says there were nearly 5,000 work zone crashes last year that killed 17 people and seriously injured 75.
A social media campaign Wednesday will promote support for the work zone safety week. Participants can share a photo on social media of them wearing orange and using the hashtags #Orange4Safety and #NWZAW.
National Work Zone Awareness Week began in 2000 as part of the Toward Zero Deaths national safety campaign.
