Iowa DOT Highlights Work Zone Safety During National Awareness Week

AMES, Iowa (April 20, 2026) — As National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) gets underway April 20–24, the Iowa Department of Transportation is urging motorists to take extra care in construction zones, emphasizing that safe driving behaviors can save lives.

This year’s theme, “Safe Actions Save Lives,” underscores the shared responsibility between drivers and road workers. Officials say every cone, barrel, and barricade marks an active work area where crews operate just feet from moving traffic.

For the Iowa DOT, work zone safety is central to its mission of protecting both roadway workers and the traveling public. With hundreds of construction and maintenance sites across the state each year, driver decisions in these zones can have serious consequences.

State data shows that between 2016 and 2025, Iowa recorded 6,639 work zone crashes, including 67 fatal crashes resulting in 73 deaths. Speeding was identified as a factor in nearly half of those incidents, contributing to 3,058 crashes. In 2025 alone, there were 741 work zone crashes statewide.

Most crashes occurred under seemingly safe conditions—clear weather (74%), daylight hours (75%), and dry roads (87%)—with the leading cause being drivers following too closely, accounting for 20% of collisions.

National statistics mirror Iowa’s concerns. According to the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, there were an estimated 101,000 work zone crashes in 2023, leading to 899 deaths and approximately 39,000 injuries. Of those fatalities, 94 were roadway workers, though most victims nationwide are motorists or passengers.

The dangers of work zones were brought into sharp focus in 2024 when Iowa DOT maintenance worker Matt Dickerson was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 80 near Council Bluffs. Dickerson, who worked out of the Neola Garage, is one of 19 DOT employees who have died in work zones since 1953.

Throughout the week, Iowa DOT is participating in several events aimed at raising awareness:

• Monday, April 20 – Work Zone Safety Training Day, focused on staff education
• Tuesday, April 21 – National kickoff event hosted by the Connecticut DOT, along with an Iowa DOT video highlighting work zone safety from a personal perspective
• Wednesday, April 22 – “Go Orange Day,” encouraging workers and the public to wear orange in support of safety efforts
• Thursday, April 23 – Social media outreach campaign using hashtags #NWZAW, #WorkZoneSafety, and #SafeActionsSaveLives
• Friday, April 24 – Enforcement partnership with the Iowa State Patrol and a statewide moment of silence honoring victims of work zone incidents

Transportation officials are reminding drivers that fines for moving violations are at least doubled in work zones. They encourage motorists to slow down, follow posted signs, maintain safe distances between vehicles, and remain alert at all times.

“Every decision behind the wheel matters,” officials said, stressing that safer driving can help ensure that both workers and travelers make it home safely.