Elam: We must make work zones safer

As Congress works on the next surface transportation bill, work zone safety must be front and center.

That’s what Nile Elam, NAPA Vice President for Government Affairs, wrote in a recently published opinion piece in Construction Dive.

“Some danger in life is unavoidable, but these rates of crashes, injuries and deaths are intolerable, especially because many of these incidents are preventable with the right policy and careful implementation,” Elam writes.

“Industry leaders have long pushed for progress. This week marks the 26th annual National Work Zone Awareness Week, a campaign advanced by industry partners and transportation agencies to promote safe driving in work zones. Industry groups have also formed the National Work Zone Safety Coalition to encourage lawmakers to take action. Collectively, we are taking steps in the right direction, but we need to do more — and fast — because progress has not kept pace with the problem.”

Published during National Work Zone Awareness Week, Elam highlighted a variety of recent steps in the right direction, though added more needs to be done.

Elam’s article details bipartisan proposals that would make a meaningful difference and should be enacted in this year’s highway bill.

“The solutions are within reach,” Elam wrote. “It’s time to grab them.”