In another effort to help maintain safety in work zones, NCDOT is working with off-duty law enforcement officers to increase drivers’ awareness.
The HAWKS Program, short for Helping All Workzones Keep Safe, is a joint initiative between NCDOT and the North Carolina Highway Patrol that uses off-duty officers to monitor and patrol work zones. The program is funded with $2 million from NCDOT and is used to cover about 300 law enforcement shifts per month statewide.
Locations are chosen based on metrics including crash history, average speed, and traffic volume. Last year, HAWKS patrolled 56 projects statewide, generating about 31,000 citations and keeping both drivers and workers safe.
Statewide, close to 50 people died in work zone crashes last year.
