Media Partners Invited To Hear From Workers Involved In Work Zone Collisions, As Partners Gather To Promote Safe Driving In Work Zones - 06/04/26
When: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 10
Where: Location in Vancouver will be shared when an RSVP is sent to Kaley McLachlan-Burton, PIO, Clark County Public Works: kaley.mclachlan-burton@clark.wa.gov
What: As summer driving and road construction work increase in the coming weeks, Clark County Public Works, Washington State Department of Transportation, Vancouver Public Works, Washington State Patrol and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office are partnering to remind drivers that work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility. Drivers can expect more work zones throughout the region and should know how to safely navigate them to protect themselves, their passengers, other road users, and workers.
At 10:30 a.m., workers from partner road agencies will share personal stories about work zone injury collisions that have occurred in Clark County in the past year.
After the speakers, media partners are invited to interview speakers and agency partners.
Why: June, July and August are Washington’s deadliest consecutive 90 days for traffic fatalities. Since 2018, more than 1,500 people have lost their lives in collisions during the summer months, and many more have been injured. This is especially concerning for local road agencies, as it overlaps with the summer construction season when workers are on and alongside roads, completing critical construction, maintenance and repair work. Much of this work must be done during long periods of warm, dry weather.
Clark County ranks fourth for counties with the most work zone collisions in Washington, with about 80 recorded incidents each year. The leading causes are distracted driving, speeding, and actions of frustrated drivers.
It’s not a matter of “if” drivers will encounter work zones this summer, but when and where. Drivers should allow extra time to reach their destinations, check traffic conditions along their route before heading out, and focus solely on driving when behind the wheel. Work zone safety starts with every driver.