WHEREAS, Accidents in highway work zones resulted in 868 deaths nationwide in 1999; and

WHEREAS, Workers in highway work zones and motorists traveling through the zones have suffered injury or death as a result of accidents in the work zones; and

WHEREAS, Employees and private citizens of the State of California are among those who must regularly work within the public right-of-way and in close proximity to traffic while performing their responsibilities, including the maintenance of streets, the maintenance and repair of water and sewer lines, the maintenance and replacement of traffic signs and signals, the application of pavement markings, and the maintenance and landscaping of street medians; and

WHEREAS, To increase public awareness of the need for greater caution and care by motorists while driving through highway work zones and to promote safe practices by workers while working in highway work zones, the Federal Highway Administration, the American Traffic Safety Services Association, and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials have jointly declared the week of April 9 to April 12, 2001, as “National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week”; and

WHEREAS, The State of California desires to promote the safety of its employees and to encourage motorists traveling in and through the state to exercise caution and care when encountering a work zone; now, therefore, be it