It's National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week. In 2023, over 1,700 people were injured in Indiana Work Zones.
INDIANA (WTHI) - Over the last decade in Indiana, more than 260 people have been killed in work zone crashes. That number, which comes from the Indiana Department of Transportation, includes both construction workers and drivers.
It's National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, and INDOT is encouraging drivers to keep safety top of mind in active work zones.
Matt Schalburg has been a highway worker for INDOT for nearly 15 years. Over those years, he's had a few close calls while on the job.
"There was nothing I did; she just kept driving straight towards me, and as I stepped aside to move away from her, she actually followed me. The only thing that stopped her from following me was when I stepped across a ditch into a field, and she got the idea to stop," said Shalburg.
In 2023, over 1,700 people were injured in Indiana work zones.
It's not just roadside workers at risk. In fact, 4 out of 5 people killed in work zones are drivers and passengers.
INDOT's spokesperson, Blake Dollier, says the cause for many of these crashes are simply due to drivers not paying attention.
"Distracted driving is really what has been causing an uptick in these accidents. So, if we can kind of take this issue that we have been seeing this pattern and correct that, it's 100 percent preventable," said Dollier.
There are a few things highway workers do to make themselves visible on the road to alert drivers.
"You can see an example of what I'm wearing; this is what we have to do to make ourselves stand out. Plus our signage, these cones and barrels that you see before you, and our signs on the highways and our big flashing arrows," said Shalburg.
The department is encouraging people to drive carefully if you see any construction signs or workers.
Schalburg wants to remind drivers that all roadside workers deserve to get home by the end of their shift.
"We have people to tell us when we can pull out safely because we can't necessarily see all the time. The general public needs to be aware that it is that season to watch for us."
