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The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is joining other state transportation agencies and the Federal Highway Administration to promote National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 26-30.

Flowering trees and shrubs along Kentucky roads will increasingly be complemented by the brightly colored barrels, cones, vests, and helmets of crews working to repair and enhance the state’s highways, landscapes, and utilities.

“This is the time of year when drivers encounter more and more work crews on and along our highways and roadsides,” said Gov. Andy Beshear.

“Help protect yourselves, your families and your neighbors, the men and women who serve on the front lines improving our infrastructure, by slowing down in work zones and putting away any devices that might distract you.”

National Work Zone Awareness Week is an effort to prevent crashes, injuries, and fatalities in work zones of all kinds, including highway construction and maintenance, mowing, utility, brush, and tree trimming.

“It often comes as a surprise to learn that in Kentucky, and in fact nationally, most work zone victims are motorists, not the workers,” stated Transportation Secretary Jim Gray. “We want drivers to know they, too, have a vested interest in work zone safety.”

According to the Federal Highway Administration, one person is killed every 13 hours and one is injured every 13 minutes in a work zone. But four out of five are drivers, not workers. In Kentucky last year, there were 905 work zone crashes, 228 injuries, and six fatalities. All of those killed were drivers.