“Go Orange” for Work Zone Awareness April 17

As part of Work Zone Awareness Week, the Mississippi Department of Transportation encourages everyone to participate in Go Orange Day on Wednesday, April 17, by wearing orange apparel.

Go Orange Day is an opportunity for everyone in the community to show their support for work zone safety by wearing orange. In recent years, work zone related crashes have continued to trend in the wrong direction. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there were 956 work zone fatalities nationally in 2021, an increase from 863 fatalities in 2020. In 2021, 164 pedestrians were killed in work zones nationally. Work zone safety awareness is not only designed for the safety of roadside workers but also drivers themselves: over 80% of all work-zone related fatalities were drivers or passengers.

Please MDOT in wearing orange on Wednesday, April 17, to show support for the men and women who work tirelessly to keep Mississippi’s roads safe. Take a photo of yourself wearing orange to show your commitment to work zone safety. Tag @MississippiDOT and post it to Facebook, X, or Instagram with the hashtags #Orange4Safety or #GoOrangeDay.

The traveling public plays a major role in protecting our roadside workers. With springtime underway, it is as important now as ever. Please remind the traveling public to slow down, put the phone away, pay attention to advanced warning signs, and be alert for roadside crews throughout Mississippi.

For more information on Work Zone Awareness Week, click here.