Illinois Highway Construction Fatalities Decline

The Illinois Department of Transportation said the number of highway construction work zone fatalities in the state has fallen by more than half in the past four years, the Associated Press reported.

The department said April 8 that there were 21 work zone deaths in 2007, including workers and motorists, down from 44 in 2003, AP said.

The department has asked motorists to slow down and be alert in work zones as the road-construction season begins this year, AP reported.

The state convened a Work Zone Safety Task Force after the deaths in 2003 to make recommendations to lower fatalities. Statistics show an average of 7,000 work-zone crashes every year with about 2,600 injuries, AP said.