[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 62 (Thursday, April 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E714-E715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING NATIONAL WORK ZONE AWARENESS WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. PHIL HARE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 29, 2010

  Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 11th annual 
National Work Zone Awareness Week, which brings national attention to 
motorists, worker safety and mobility issues in work zones. This year's 
Awareness Week takes place April 19-23, and is coordinated by the 
Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State 
Highway

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and Transportation Officials, and the American Traffic Safety Services 
Association. Although work zone fatalities have declined nationally by 
over 30 percent since 1996, 720 people lost their lives in 2008 alone. 
We can do better.
  National Work Zone Awareness Week encourages drivers to pay close 
attention to their surroundings such as putting down their mobile 
phones and other devices while proceeding through work zones. With 
increased awareness, we can continue aiming to make our roads safer for 
both workers and drivers, but also work toward further decreasing the 
number of work zone fatalities. According to research from the Illinois 
Institute of Technology, highway work zone fatalities have actually 
increased from 2007 to 2008 for both highway workers and vehicle 
travelers. Its research also shows that Illinois highway worker 
fatalities have actually stayed consistent over the last 15 years. We 
need to urge the American people to continue striving to reduce this 
fatality rate. This is an ambitious goal, but with 7,000 work zone 
crashes per year in my home State, 29 leading to death, National Work 
Zone Awareness Week is something we should all support.
  In addition, as a Member serving on both the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee and the Education and Labor Committee, I would 
also like to recognize my two committee chairmen, Representatives Jim 
Oberstar and George Miller, for their constant vigilance on making 
workplace safety a top priority of each respective Committee. Madam 
Speaker, we should all be reminded that driving safely doesn't stop 
just because you slow down through a highway construction zone, but 
rather it encompasses all factors that allow motorists to pay close 
attention to the road while also allowing road workers to improve our 
infrastructure. These workers should not have to worry about whether or 
not they're going to make it through the day unscathed.
  Again, I would like to offer my recognition for National Work Zone 
Awareness Week. I thank the Speaker and urge all of my colleagues to 
join in recognizing this important campaign.

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