Two decades after the dedication of the Virginia Department of Transportation workers’ memorial on Interstate 64, highway workers continue to face the consequences of dangerous driving.
Improved work zone safety is possible with collective efforts to practice good driving habits, including slowing down and avoiding distractions.
A monument was dedicated on Sept. 17, 2004, to recognize VDOT’s highway workers who lost their lives while on the job improving the commonwealth’s transportation system.
A total of 134 names of VDOT workers are engraved on the monument. Many of the deaths happened as a result of work zone crashes.
In work zones, speeding and distracted driving are some of the biggest factors leading to crashes that result in injuries and fatalities. The anniversary of the memorial provides everyone with an opportunity to remember the importance of safe driving in work zones and the tragic consequences of unsafe driver behavior.
Unlike typical road conditions, work zones involve large equipment, traffic pattern changes, lane closures, uneven pavement, speed limit changes, and, most importantly, workers. Improved work zone awareness is necessary to protect highway workers, drivers and pedestrians.
From 2014 to 2024, more than 35,000 work zone-related crashes happened across Virginia, which is an average of approximately 10 work zone-related crashes every single day. In that same time period, 15,677 work zone-related injuries and 142 fatalities were recorded, including other drivers and non-VDOT workers.
Tips to safely navigate work zone:
- Slow down.
- Focus and ditch the distractions.
- Use caution, stay alert.
- Follow the signs. Signs and flaggers will direct you through work zones. Expect changes. in traffic patterns as a project progresses.
- Watch out for workers and slow-moving equipment.
- Allow extra space between your vehicle and the one in front of you.
- Expect speed limits to vary in work zones. Enhanced fines of up to $500 may be levied for speeding in a work zone.
- Be patient. Crews are working to improve the safety and comfort of your travels.
- Never change lanes in a work zone.
- Before starting a trip, visit 511Virginia.org for real-time information on work zones and incidents. Download the free mobile 511Virginia app or call 511 from any phone in Virginia.
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Rebecca Barnabi
