National Work Zone Awareness Week
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — This week marks National Work Zone Awareness Week across Tennessee and the rest of the country—a campaign focused on reminding drivers to slow down, stay alert, and move over when traveling through highway construction zones.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is using this week to amplify a crucial message: work zone safety is a shared responsibility between drivers and workers.
In 2024 alone, Tennessee recorded over 2,300 work zone crashes. Of those, 563 resulted in injuries—and 16 people were killed in major cities across the state.
Rae Anne Bradley, Regional Communication Officer with TDOT, emphasized just how vital this initiative is.
“I cannot stress the importance of this enough. We want our workers to get home safely to their families. We want drivers to get home safely to their families,” she said.
TDOT officials explained that while roads can be engineered for maximum safety, the choices drivers make ultimately determine the outcome.
“Work zone safety is a shared responsibility, in that sense,” Bradley elaborated “We can engineer the roads to be as safe as possible, but no amount of engineering can change driver behavior. And so I guess that’s the biggest thing we want to make sure folks keep in mind when they’re out in the roadways, navigating through the work zones.”
As part of the week’s events, Wednesday has been designated “Wear Orange Day”—an opportunity for the public to show visible support for the men and women working on our roads.
The overall goal, TDOT officials expressed, is simple: for everyone—workers and drivers alike—to get home safely.
