ATSSA Accomplishments Report 2018

American Traffic Safety Services Association 10 NationalWorkZoneAwareness Week (NWZAW) was highly successful in its goal to bring attention to work zone safety across the United States, and advocate for a traffic safety vision of Toward ZeroDeaths (TZD) on our nation’s roadways. NWZAW, an annual campaign topromote safety in work zones with the goal of eliminating work zone injuries and fatal- ities, had strong engagement and partic- ipation across the United States by state departments of transportation (DOTs), local governments, federal agencies, non-profit organizations, ATSSAmember companies, and individuals. Held April 10, the NWZAW kick-off event took place at the Jane Byrne Interchange in Chicago, Illinois, and was hosted by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Speaking at the kick-off were Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn, Governor Bruce Rauner, and Christine Nichols, the widow of Ryan Nichols, who was tragically killed in a work zone crash in Illinois in 2011. “Little did I know that morning that was the last time I would see him. He was not coming home, not today, not tomorrow, and not ever,” said Nichols. A representative from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) also spoke at the kick-off event. Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data fromNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that in 2015 there were 700 work zone fatalities and 36,526 work zone injuries. According to infor- mation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 143 roadway workers were killed in 2016. This data underscores the importance of NWZAW’s mission and growing efforts to promote safety for workers and drivers in work zones. Among those hosting NWZAW events, the New England ATSSA Chapter hosted The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation’s (The Foundation) National Work ZoneMemorial at their press confer- ence event in Montpelier, Vermont, on April 3. “Since 2012, five people have been killed in work zones on Vermont roadways, 2018 NWZAW raises awareness of work zone safety across country three of whomwere work zone workers. ATSSA is committed to supporting the roadway safety infrastructure industry’s move Toward Zero Deaths on all U.S. roads. Although this is an ambitious goal, a goal of anything less is unacceptable,” said Debra Ricker, immediate past chair of the ATSSA Board of Directors and president of Worksafe Traffic Control Industries. NWZAW’s hashtags #NWZAW and #Orange4Safety showed high levels of engagement for the campaign with hundreds of re-tweets, likes, and shares. For more information visit NWZAW.org Staff members of Gregory Industries Inc. participated in Go Orange Day during NWZAW on April 11. NWZAW

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