This year, PILLAR is celebrating 20 years of ethical commitment to the well-being and safety of the public through transportation asset management. During our two decades of work, we’ve partnered with transportation departments and roadside workers at both the state and national level and witnessed their tremendous dedication firsthand. To celebrate PILLAR’s 20th anniversary, recognize our excellent partners, and remember those who lost their lives in work zones, PILLAR made a donation to the National Work Zone Traveling Memorial.
The Work Zone Traveling Memorial is an integral part of the National Work Zone Awareness Week and is inscribed with more than 1,600 names of individuals who lost their lives in America’s roadside work zones. Our donation will support memorial visits in locations all over the country and bring awareness to the importance of safety for roadside workers.
Because safety is an integral part of PILLAR’s mission, we observe National Work Zone Awareness every year. We’re proud to partner with the national leader in work zone safety awareness, VDOT’s Bristol District. In 1997, VDOT’s Bristol District spearheaded the country’s first Work Zone Awareness Week. Bristol’s idea quickly gained traction and by the next year, VDOT launched a statewide campaign to encourage both employees and the public to reduce safety hazards to roadside workers. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of leaders in Virginia’s transportation sector, a national campaign was launched just two years later in 2000.
Virginia’s leadership toward work zone safety has made America’s work zones safer. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the number of work zone fatalities has decreased in the United States every year since 2002.
The Work Zone Traveling Memorial will stop in Virginia during National Work Zone Awareness Week April 11-15, 2022. This year and every year, PILLAR is proud to support respect and safety in America’s roadside work zones. Please follow these 8 tips on navigating highway work zones.
8 Points to Follow When Navigating Highway Work Zones
- Expect the unexpected
- Follow the signs
- Don’t tailgate
- Don’t speed
- Never change lanes in a work zone
- Focus and minimize distractions
- Be patient
- Know before you go by dialing 511 for traffic information
For additional information on work zone safety and distracted driving please visit these links:
Virginia DMV General Distracted Driving
National Safety Council Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Drive Smart Virginia’s Distracted Driving Outreach and Education Toolkit