(File Photo: Caption for Photo: PennDOT, PSP, PTC, Construction Industry Highlight National Work Zone Awareness Week)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) hosted an event in the state today calling attention to work zone safety and urged drivers to slow down and pay attention in work zones as the weather gets warmer and more construction projects get underway. The Shapiro Administration hosted the event along with the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors (APC). Governor Josh Shapiro proclaimed this week as National Work Zone Awareness Week as part of his administration’s mission to provide a safe transportation system for all Pennsylvanians. “Safe actions save lives,” is the theme of this year’s awareness campaign. According to PennDOT data, there were 1,393 work zone crashes in 2025, resulting in 12 fatalities. One of the most frequent contributing factors in fatal work zone crashes was driving too fast for conditions. In addition to crash data from police reports, PennDOT monitors work zone safety with internal reports. There were 428 reported intrusions in PennDOT work zones in 2025. 16 of those work zone intrusions resulted in injuries to PennDOT employees. Students from across the state were also in attendance to display their original work zone safety solutions as part of the annual PennDOT Innovations Challenge, which is a statewide competition for high school students to develop creative and strategic solutions to real-world transportation issues, while also encouraging them to explore careers in transportation that is now in its ninth year. This year’s contest asked students to develop a concept for the use of artificial intelligence in work zones to dramatically improve safety for road users and work crews. Pennsylvania’s New Driver Work Zone Safety Program, which you can find out more about by clicking here, is a statewide training program to improve new driver safety and roadway worker protection. This online training is free and uses infographics, knowledge checks, testimonials that are powerful and videos that are engaging to teach new drivers key facts, signage, and work zone laws, as well as offering real-life scenarios to enhance understanding. Pennsylvania’s Work Zone Speed Safety Camera program, which you can find out more about by clicking here, uses vehicle-mounted systems to detect and record drivers exceeding posted work zone speed limits by 11 miles per hour or more using electronic speed timing devices. Cameras are only operational in work zones that are active where workers are present. Work zones that have speed safety cameras that are active and present will have high-visibility signs in advance of the enforcement area, which alerts drivers to the upcoming enforcement. Registered owners will receive a warning letter for a first offense, a violation notice and a fine of $75 for a second offense, and a violation notice and a fine of $150 for third and subsequent offenses. These violations are civil penalties only and no points are assessed to driver’s licenses. You can visit  workzonecameras.penndot.gov by clicking here for more information on the Work Zone Speed Safety Camera program, including a list of projects where the units are deployed. Drivers who are caught by police driving 11 mph or more above the posted speed limit in an active work zone, or who are involved in a crash in an active work zone and are convicted of failing to drive at a safe speed, will automatically lose their license for 15 days. Additionally, fines for certain traffic violations, including driving under the influence, failure to obey traffic devices and speeding, are doubled in active work zones. The law also provides for up to five years of additional time in prison for individuals that are convicted of homicide by vehicle for a crash that occurred in an active work zone.