MDOT Urges Michiganders To Wear Orange Today

(WWJ) M-DOT says you'd look good in orange -- after all some sources say orange is the new black. State highway officials hope you will don something orange today to raise awareness of the dangers faced by road construction workers.

The day also brings a reminder for commuters to slow down, and pay attention as they travel through work zones. Last year in Michigan, 17 people were killed and 75 were injured in over 5,000 work zone crashes.

MDOT is urging people to spread the message by sharing pictures of your orange fashion on social media with the hashtag #Orange4Safety.

This year's theme for National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 3-7, is "work zone safety is in your hands."

For more facts, stats and information about work zone safety, click here.

"The faces of people who are represented by these crash statistics could be any one of us," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "Each one of those numbers represents a person who left behind parents, siblings, children, and friends who were devastated by their loss. We all need to work together to bring these numbers down with the ultimate goal of zero deaths on our roadways."