Reps. Byrum, Accavitti, Bauer, Bennett, Bieda, Brandenburg, Byrnes, Clack, Constan, Dean, Gonzales, Hammel, Hammon, Hansen, Hopgood, Kathleen Law, LeBlanc, Lemmons, Mayes, McDowell, Polidori, Sak, Shaffer, Sheltrown, Spade, Tobocman, Vagnozzi, Valentine, Wojno, Acciavatti, Elsenheimer, Farrah, Green, Robert Jones, Leland, Marleau, Meisner, Miller, Opsommer, Proos, Melton and Alma Smith offered the following resolution:

House Resolution No. 57.

A resolution recognizing the week of April 1st, 2007, as National Work Zone Awareness Week.

Whereas, According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, there were 6,323 work zone crashes, 1,751 injuries and 22 fatalities in 2004.  This is twice as many deaths as the year earlier; and

Whereas, The Federal Highway Administration says that in 2003, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 1,028 people were killed nationwide in work zones - a 50 percent increase over 1997. The vast majority, 85 percent, were drivers or their passengers; and

Whereas, An average of 1,020 people die every year nationwide in such accidents, which are often due to driver inattention, according to federal highway authorities; and

Whereas, Nationally, more than 80 percent of fatalities in roadwork zones involve drivers and their passengers - not road workers, who are involved in 20 percent of the deaths; and

Whereas, We celebrate National Work Zone Awareness Week in memory of Jackson County native Christy Gutekunst, and all others who have died in work zone accidents; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body recognize the week of April 1st, 2007, as National Work Zone Awareness Week. We urge all Michiganians to remember to drive cautiously and carefully every time they drive, and especially when driving in work zones.