As all drivers know, emergency vehicles and first responders aren't the only roadway workers that face the risk of being struck by passing vehicles every day. Like emergency lights and sirens, work zones can unpredictably alter the "normal' flow of traffic and road design, making them notoriously dangerous for both drivers and workers. When drivers fail to comply with Move Over laws and don't react in time to work zones, the consequences can be deadly; 124 construction workers died in 2018 alone, averaging more than two deaths a week.

Last month, we welcomed two new partners to the Safety Cloud platform that are working with us to solve this problem. Hill & Smith is a leading manufacturer of Work Zone and transportation infrastructure equipment based out of Columbus, Ohio. Pi-Lit is an innovative manufacturer of traffic control solutions headquartered in Tustin, California. Both companies selected our Safety Cloud platform to enhance their products with digital alerting, providing them with instant access to the drivers and vehicles that pass by their equipment in work zones throughout the United States.

Most Safety Cloud alerts delivered through Waze today are sent when a nearby emergency vehicle activates their lights and sirens. With Pi-Lit and Hill & Smith, we're now extending that protection to work zone crews, ITS equipment, and other hazardous incidents.

In cities using Safety Cloud for both responder vehicles and work zones, drivers will now receive real-time alerts anytime they're within half a mile of encountering any hazard that requires them to slow down and move over. This expansion also means that all agencies, companies, and people that work on and alongside roads can trust Safety Cloud as the platform of choice for connected safety and digital alerting.

Do you provide safety solutions to Work Zones or emergency response? If so, contact us to learn more about integrating with Safety Cloud to improve road safety and driver awareness in your community.