This week marks the start of National Work Zone Awareness week, as construction season starts to pick up. It's all about remembering the critical importance of driving safe through work zones.

"We do see people not slowing down, we do see a lot of people that like to see what's going on in the work zones, which distracts them from what is going on in front of them, puts themselves and other motorists at risk," says PennDOT Construction Project Manager, Chad Tarr.

Work zone awareness week focuses on slowing down, avoid distractions such as texting and driving or making a phone call, and obeying all signs posted.

"Always drive like everyone you know is working in that work zone," says District Press Officer, Jill Harry.  "Drive through there like it's your family is there and you want to keep them safe so treat our workers with that same level of respect and keep them safe too because they want to go home safely too everyday."

Tarr says bringing awareness to drivers about what to do in work zones is so important, "distracted driving and asking the public to put down their cell phones when they're going through work zones and at all times and to just be mindful and pay attention when they enter the work zones to reduce their speed, be on the look out for equipment and trucks entering, leaving the work zones and into the live lane."

He says speeding and not following signs in work zones is not only a danger for him and his crew but also the other drivers on the road passing through the work zone.

"We are real people out there, we do have families, and we do want to go home at the end of the day and we understand that our job does disrupt peoples daily travels but it's not our intent we are out there to make the roads safer, to make them better safer for the traveling public.," says Tarr.