ur 25th president, William McKinley, wasn’t talking about road construction when he said “The path to progress is seldom smooth;” but the adage rings as true for torn up roads today as it was for a country inconvenienced by territorial expansion at the beginning of a new century.
When the path is challenging, it’s more important than ever to be patient, keep focused, and confront the challenges with a level head.
That’s the best way to keep the driving public and those working in construction zones safe: slow down, pay attention, and make every action a safe action.
“Safe Actions Save Lives” was the theme of the 2026 National Work Zone Awareness Week, held across the nation April 20–24. Celebrated by state transportation departments and others in the construction industry, the week is an annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in work zones.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says on average, at least two people are killed each day in work zones.
- Pay attention, especially at night. More than half of all fatal work zone crashes reported in 2024 happened at night.
- Keep your distance. In 2024, rear-end collisions cause nearly one-quarter of all fatal work zone crashes.
- Slow down. Speed was a factor in more than one-third of fatal work zone crashes in 2024.
- Watch for pedestrians. In 2024, nearly 170 pedestrians, including construction, maintenance, and utility workers, and cyclists were killed in work zones.
- Allow extra space for large vehicles to maneuver. In 2024, large trucks or buses were involved in nearly one-third of fatal work zone crashes.
- Avoid distractions. Unpredictable zones require full focus. Distractions were involved in more than one in eight fatal work zone crashes in 2024.
- Rindi White is the editor of The Alaska Contractor magazine. Photo provided by Associated General Contractors of Alaska.
