Work Zone Safety

Drive Safely Through Work Zones.
Slow down. Keep your distance. Stay Focused.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) proudly joins fellow transportation agencies, law enforcement partners, construction crews, and community partners across the state and country in recognizing Work Zone Awareness Week. This campaign unites transportation agencies, law enforcement, construction crews, and community partners to raise awareness about the real dangers road workers face every day while performing essential work in our communities.

This annual initiative highlights the critical role every driver plays in protecting these workers and fellow motorists when traveling through work zones. National Work Zone Awareness Week is a powerful reminder that safety in construction areas is a shared responsibility.

A work zone involves workers, vehicles, trucks, and equipment, often requiring lane closures, detours, and active operations, and may last from a few hours to several years. Work zone fatalities account for approximately 2–3 percent of total traffic fatalities and about 2 percent of serious injuries in Florida. Ensuring the safe and efficient flow of traffic

through work zones remains an ongoing priority for Florida’s transportation and traffic safety partners.

Florida experienced more than 16,012 work zone crashes, including 74 fatalities and 294 serious injuries, according to the 2023 Florida Traffic Crash Facts Annual Report.

To help reduce crashes in work zones, FDOT prioritizes traffic law enforcement, public awareness and education, and partnering with work zone stakeholders through grant funding opportunities.

Enforcement

The most common violations in work zone areas are speeding and distracting driving. These violations are taken very seriously, and the goal is to save lives. Law enforcement agencies are expected to actively enforce traffic laws within work zones to help reduce crashes.

Education

Education plays an important role in improving safety within work zones by increasing public awareness and encouraging responsible driving behavior.

Programs such as the SWIFTT Challenge (Safety Work Zone Innovations for Today and Tomorrow) engage industry professionals, students, and government agencies in promoting and exploring the latest innovative safety solutions for work zones today and in the future. In addition, campaigns like NWZAW (National Work Zone Awareness Week) serve as a nationwide effort to highlight the importance of work zone safety through public outreach, media engagement, and community events.

These efforts highlight the importance of staying alert, following posted speed limits, and respecting traffic control signs to protect both workers and fellow motorists.

Grant Funding

FDOT provides grant funding opportunity to local governments and nonprofits working to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities in our work zones. For grant funding, concept papers must be submitted in the year prior to project implementation. Supporting data must demonstrate that the roadway project will be ongoing during the grant cycle for funds to be awarded.

Programs receiving grant funding in this priority area focus on three major program-related categories:

· Problem Identification: Data collection and analysis to identify and develop countermeasures and awareness initiatives that lead to significant change in driver behavior.

· Communication Programs: Public awareness and education efforts to ensure motorist compliance with revised speed limits and enforcement operations.

· Enforcement Countermeasures: Targeted enforcement strategies that address speeding drivers, high-risk locations, and conditions most associated with speeding-related crashes.

Items eligible for funding may include overtime enforcement and public awareness materials.

All program areas funded through grants are required to have an evaluation method to assess their effectiveness in reducing fatalities and injuries. For more information, see our Grants page.

Resources