Standing shoulder to shoulder with road workers and public safety officials, transportation leaders on Thursday called on drivers to pay attention, slow down and stay sober behind the wheel as severe injuries from work zone crashes continue to climb across Washington.
Held at the Clark County Public Works 78th Street Operations Center, the event brought together local agencies ahead of National Work Zone Awareness Week to highlight a 36% increase in serious injury collisions in work zones statewide in 2024. This event was held in collaboration by Clark County Public Works, Washington State Department of Transportation, Vancouver Public Works and Portland Bureau of Transportation.
The awareness campaign comes amid a rise in work zone crashes across Washington. In 2024, the state recorded 1,607 such incidents, a 17 percent increase from the previous year.
“Every day, our teams risk their lives on our roads and highways,” Clark County Engineer Jeremy Provenzano said during opening remarks. “They operate in an environment where even the smallest distraction can have devastating consequences.”
“If you read a text while driving at just 35 miles per hour for six seconds, you’ll travel the length of a football field without your eyes on the road,” he added. “One text isn’t worth the risk.”
Carley Francis, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Regional Administrator, emphasized the state’s responsibility to protect workers and the public, noting that driver behavior is the leading threat to both.
Clark County had 78 work zone collisions in 2024, the fourth highest in the state. Francis recalled a stretch of incidents last year.
“In January 2024, six of our crew were struck in their vehicles at high speed while fixing potholes on I-5 in Clark County. Two weeks later, another crew member was hit by a second DUI driver while responding to the first DUI crash,” she said. “These are stories that WSDOT does not forget.”
Bethany Blankenship, a Highway Maintenance Worker 2 with WSDOT, experienced the first crash firsthand, which changed her life. Blankenship was one of six WSDOT crew members in their vehicle while repairing potholes near the Clark County Fairgrounds.
“We were on the shoulder for less than 90 seconds and got struck,” she told The Reflector. “The back window shattered completely… Thankfully, we all had seatbelts on.”
Blankenship has been in recovery for over a year, undergoing physical therapy and living with PTSD. Due to the injury, Blankenship will live with back pain for the rest of her life. Despite these difficulties, she continues working in what she calls her dream job and volunteers for her local fire district.
Blankenship urges drivers to stay off the phone while driving, avoid alcohol, and slow down for work crews.
“Behind the orange vest is a human being,” she said. “We all have families. We all want to go home.”
New measures are rolling out this year to address the crisis. Work zone speed cameras will be deployed statewide as part of a law passed by the legislature in 2023. These mobile units will track speeding vehicles and issue violations by mail.
“Your trip might take more time to ensure everyone arrives in one piece,” Francis said.
Ryan Lopossa, Transportation Division Manager for Vancouver Public Works, spoke about how quickly work zones can appear—and the responsibility drivers have to adapt immediately.
“You need to change your behavior when you drive through a work zone,” Lopossa said. “Slow down. Pay attention to the signs. Listen to the flaggers.”
He pointed to new safety tools like the city’s truck-mounted attenuator, designed to absorb crashes without killing workers. Still, he said, “We’re counting on you as drivers.”
Detective Brian Durbin of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office has investigated more than 1,000 collisions in his 17 years.
“In 2024, we saw 486 collisions with almost 300 injuries,” Durbin said. “Distractions, DUIs, ignoring traffic signs are causing real harm.”
Durbin shared a personal near miss on I-5 last December. A driver on her cell phone crashed into his patrol car during a traffic stop, narrowly avoiding hitting him and his trainee.
“It could’ve been prevented if she had just put down her phone,” he said.
Clark County Highway Maintenance Crew Chief Ben Kemp also addressed the crowd, recalling a time a flagger was struck in an intersection despite traffic controls.
“Even when you’re in the traffic control zones, pay attention,” Kemp said. “I don’t want to be the one making that phone call to someone’s family.”
As the spring and summer construction season ramps up, agencies are pleading with drivers to do their part.
“Nearly 96 percent of people injured in work zone crashes are drivers, passengers, or pedestrians,” Francis told The Reflector. “This is a public safety issue for all of us.”
Her advice: “Be sober. Put the phone down. Slow down. And drive like lives depend on it, because they do.”
