National Work Zone Awareness Week Honors 61 Workers Killed

Across several states, officials held memorials and awareness events to honor highway and other workers killed or injured on the job, coinciding with National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week and Worker’s Memorial Day. In West Virginia, a ceremony paid tribute to 58 state highway workers who lost their lives, urging drivers to remain attentive and cautious through work zones to ensure workers return home safely. Similar sentiments were echoed in Ohio, where officials commemorated Trenton Gallaway, a road worker killed in a work zone crash, and highlighted the importance of obeying Move Over laws and reducing speed, as excessive speed was linked to 38% of fatal work zone crashes. Washington state reported a significant rise in work zone crashes and injuries, prompting the launch of a new speed camera program and emphasizing that safety concerns extend to first responders as well as road crews. Labor leaders in Washington also marked Worker’s Memorial Day, calling for stronger workplace safety standards and enforcement. These events collectively underscored the ongoing risks workers face and the need for continued public vigilance and policy improvements to prevent future tragedies.