Governor Wes Moore and members of the Department of Transportation met to push new highway safety efforts during Work Zone Awareness Week.

To help demonstrate the dangers of road work, state leaders stood in front of construction equipment and trucks damaged in work zone accidents.

One of the vehicles was a 20-ton truck helping to pick up litter along Highway 340 at the end of February. Luckly, the crew was working away from the truck at the time of impact.

Between 2017 and 2021, there were over 7,500 crashes in work zones resulting in 46 deaths, and over 3,000 people were injured.

“Sadly, there were 11 work zone fatalities last year,” said Maryland Secretary of Transportation Paul Wiedefeld.

State leaders also highlighted the tragic Baltimore Beltway crash earlier this year while urging the public to be safe on the road. Six people died when a vehicle sped past barriers and flipped over in a work zone on the west side of I-695.

A preliminary report revealed that both vehicles involved in the crash were speeding at the time.

“Literally, people who are building the future of our state with their hands are in fear of wondering whether or not they’re going to make it home that night,” said Gov. Moore.

The governor and Secretary of Transportation are launching a new highway safety group to look into potential improvements to work zone policies in Maryland with the goal of protecting workers.