Warmer weather means an uptick in road work in the area and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is observing National Work Zone Awareness Week.
It goes through Friday and it’s meant to encourage motorists to take a vested interest in work zone safety by slowing down and driving without distractions in active work zones.
The Transportation Cabinet says that while highway work zones are high-risk sites for crew members, the safety of drivers and their passengers is also on the line. While the number of work zone fatalities dropped sharply from 12 in 2017 to three in 2018, all three victims were non-crew workers.
Among the contributing causes of work zone crashes, distracted driving is significant. Distracted driving behaviors may include texting or operating a phone while driving, eating, or applying makeup. Last year, 53% of work zone crashes listed distracted driving as a factor.