How Technology and Sharing Data Can Save Lives in Work Zones and Beyond

WZDx and the Importance of a National Communications Strategy

This webinar will be a lively and important discussion with private and public sector speakers stressing the need for evolving technology and strategies to address the rising number of crashes and deaths in work zones and beyond. According to the National Safety Council, in 2020, a year in which traffic volumes dramatically decreased because of COVID, work zone fatalities increased. In that year alone, 857 people were killed and 44,240 people were injured in work zone crashes.

Participants in this webinar will highlight the importance of information and data sharing as a safety tool. They will discuss the U.S. Department of transportation’s Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) initiative as a major step in sharing accurate and timely work zone information with agencies, private companies, and GPS navigation apps.

one.network’s James Harris and North Carolina DOT’s Kelly Wells will discuss how their organizations collaborated to provide the most robust WZDx feed to date. As Executive Director of one of California’s most influential transportation authorities, Timothy Haile will offer a Bay Area perspective on the importance of cross-jurisdictional information sharing and the National Safety Council’s Jane Terry will offer a view from the nation’s most respected workplace safety organization.

Speakers Include:
James Harris, Founder and CEO, one.network
Timothy Haile PE, Executive Director, Contra Costa Transportation Authority
Murat Omay, Program Manager, US DOT ITS Joint Program Office
Ryan Pietzsch, MS, Program Technical Consultant, Driver Safety, National Safety Council
Kelly Wells PE, State Traveler Information Engineer, North Carolina Department of Transportation