2023 House Resolution 75

Whereas, According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, there were 5,814 total work zone crashes, 65 serious injuries and 20 fatalities in our state in 2021. This is slightly higher than the deaths in previous years; and

Whereas, The Federal Highway Administration says that in 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available throughout the country, 857 people were killed nationwide in work zones- a 1.4 percent increase from 2019. The vast majority, 80 percent, were drivers or their passengers; and

Whereas, An average of 832 people die every year nationwide in such crashes, which are often due to driver inattention, according to federal highway authorities; and

Whereas, The Michigan Department of Transportation stated that the number one cause of crashes is due to traffic lanes being closed and the second leading cause is due to work on the shoulder of the road; and

Whereas, Nationally, around 80 percent of fatalities in road work zones involve drivers and their passengers - not road workers, who are involved in 20 percent of the deaths; and

Whereas, We recognize National Work Zone Awareness Week in memory of all who have died in work zone crashes; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare April 17-21, 2023, as National Work Zone Awareness Week in the state of Michigan. We urge all Michiganders to slow down, follow all posted signs, be alert, and drive safely through work zones.