Drive Safely in Work Zones

A young child wearing a yellow hard hat sits in the driver seat of a piece of heavy machinery. Text over the image reads, "The number of people injured in Washington work zone crashes increased to nearly 600 in 2024. 96% of those injured or killed were drivers and their passengers." Text in an orange banner at the bottom of the graphic reads, "Driving safely through work zones protects workers, you and your passengers. Slow down. Pay attention. Be patient."
Slow down. 
  • Posted speeds are set based on the maximum safe speed for a road when considering factors like intersections, curves, traffic volumes, sight distance, incline, and traffic volume. Driving faster than the posted speed greatly increases your risk of crashing. 
Pay attention. 
  • If you read a text while driving at just 35 mph for even six seconds, you'll travel the length of a football field without your eyes on the road. A lot can happen in six seconds - vehicles pulling out of driveways, traffic stopping suddenly for something in the road, or a child running out into the road after a ball. You may pass a worker doing their job in the roadway, meaning drifting even inches out of your lane could have disastrous consequences. One text isn't worth the risk.
  • Distracted driver-involved fatalities increased in both 2023 and 2024, involving 136 and 138 deaths, respectively.
Be patient. 
  • Check your route before you go. Note that popular mapping apps typically do not display construction zones or detours. Go to clark.wa.gov/public-works/construction-traffic-delays for information about road construction in Clark County on state, county and city-managed roadways.
  • Expect delays, leave early, or take an alternate route. Being on time for a meeting or an appointment isn’t worth risking someone’s life.
  • Our workers are out there not to make you late; they’re out there to fix the road issues you’ve reported and to make the drive better for you. Be kind to workers. 

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[On Screen: Construction vehicles on street]

 

Narrator:
Every summer, drivers encounter work zones on state highways and local roads. Poor decisions while driving are making work zones more dangerous for everyone. On April 17th, Clark County Public Works, along with Washington State Department of Transportation, City of Vancouver, Washington State Patrol, and the Sheriff's Office, came together promoting National Work Zone Awareness Week, urging the community to drive safely through work zones.

 

[On Screen: Presenter in front of street cleaners at National Work Zone week press event]

 

Josh Lipscomb, Road Operations Manager:
So, we try to keep the lanes still open for travel. But, there is still a high volume of speed that people are using through these zones, which is extremely unsafe. We're talking being five foot from a car that's going 40 or 50, 60 miles an hour, it’s really unsafe. And any slight moment of lack of attention, can really have catastrophic effects to those people who are working in the road.

 

[On Screen: Roads sign reading ‘slow’]

[On Screen: Construction vehicles working on road]

 

Narrator: 
The top three causes of work zone collisions in 2024 were following too closely, excessive speed and distracted driving. In 2024, Washington State had a 17% increase of crashes in work zones and 36% increase in serious injury crashes. 

 

[On Screen: Three causes of work zone collisions]

[On Screen: Washington State 2024, 17% increase of crashes in work zones and 36% increase in serious injury crashes]

Last year, WSDOT employee Bethany Blankenship was on crew in a work zone and was struck by a vehicle.

 

[On Screen: ‘Use caution’ road sign]

[On Screen: WSDOT vehicle]

 

Bethany Blankenship, Highway Maintenance Worker II, WSDOT:
I never expected something like this to ever happened to me, you know. They talk about it, but like I told another reporter, like six months into the job, I didn't expect to get hit by a drunk driver. You can try to pay attention all day long, but it doesn’t -  you can't pay attention for somebody else, you know. They're in control of themselves.

 

[On Screen: Cars driving through work zone]

 

Narrator:
At the press event, WSDOT introduced the new Work Zone Speed Camera program, which will provide Washington State Patrol with images and data about vehicles, speeding in work zones. Drivers will receive a notice of infraction in the mail.

 

[On Screen: Presenter in front of street cleaners at National Work Zone week press event]

[On Screen: Camera on orange holder records a road]

 

Carley Francis, Regional Administrator, WSDOT SW Region:
We have seen upticks in speeding since the pandemic, and it hasn't abated. Those speeds on our roadways are well exceeding the speed limit at times, in ways that are really scary.

 

[On Screen: Different roads receiving various kinds of construction work]

 

Narrator: 
While unsafe driving work zones can earn drivers monetary fines, the consequences can be much more severe. Drivers need to remember their choices  behind the wheel can mean the difference between life and death, not only for workers, but for themselves too.

 

[On Screen: WSDOT ‘pay your work zone speed camera infraction webpage]

[On Screen: Front end car crash]

[On Screen: ‘Detour’ road sign]

 

Carley Francis, Regional Administrator, WSDOT SW Region:
What's important to note here is that 95% of the individuals involved in work zone crashes are members of the public, not workers on the roadway. This is very much a public safety problem that affects you, as much as it affects my workers.

 

[On Screen: Presenter in front of street cleaners at the National Work Zone week press event]

[On Screen: A group of people watch the presenter at the National Work Zone week press event]

 

Ryan Lopossa, Streets and Transportation Manager, City of Vancouver:
It's just a raising awareness to get folks to, you know, put the phones down and don't drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and pay attention. You know, so many of the new cars have all the technology in them now, and there's just more distractions. So be distraction free when you're driving. Pay attention to what's most important, which is what's in front of you.

 

[On Screen: Different roads with work zones]

 

Narrator:
For more information about safe travel and work zones, visit Clark County Public Works web page at clark.wa.gov/ public-works/drive-safely-work-zones

To learn more about Washington State updates, visit wsdot.wa.gov/seasonal-events-programs/give-em-break.

 

[On Screen: Clark county public works and Washington state webpages]