TDOT celebrates Work Zone Awareness Week

WEST MADISON COUNTY, TN — Every year the Tennessee Department of Transportation celebrates Work Zone Awareness week in April. The week is used to spread awareness about driver safety in work zones.

“So, in 2016, we had three employees that were killed in the line of duty so that spurred us, in our minds, to create this safety campaign, “Work With Us. Move Over; Slow down,”” said Nichole Lawrence, the Community Relations Officer for TDOT.

TDOT is honoring all of those who have lost their life in the line of duty while working in a work zone with a collection of traffic cones with their name and the year they passed away on them. They’ve kept records of all who have died while working in a work zone since 1948, and since then 113 people have passed away. Even as recently as September of 2022, Trent Johnston passed away in Memphis while working on a bridge inspection crew. There are 113 cones all with a name and year on them.

So, how can you navigate through a work zone safely? Lawrence says that when approaching a work zone or TDOT vehicle on the side of the road. You need to move over and slow down.

While discussing Work Zone Awareness Week, Lawrence said, “we just really stress for motorists to put your distractions down and take your responsibility, that’s our office out there on the side of the street when our guys and gals are out there working so, you know, take the responsibility of driving into your own hands and pay attention.”