CHICAGO – To honor the working people who have died in work zones, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, is reminding drivers to slow down and move over when passing through work zones this upcoming construction season.

“Road builders keep commuters and our economy moving, so please give them the space they need as you drive through work zones,” Villivalam said. “We all want to make it home to our families at the end of the day.”

This week is Work Zone Safety Awareness Week in Illinois. Organizations across the state, including those represented by the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago, will turn orange at night to bring awareness to those we lost.

In 2019, the most recent year statistics are available, 842 people were killed and 39,100 injured in work zone crashes nationally. Illinois averages 6,400 crashes in work zones each year, resulting in 1,700 injuries and 34 deaths. More than 9 out of 10 deaths are someone other than a worker, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists.