RALEIGH -- A number of N.C. Department of Transportation leaders from across the state participated in a three-hour work zone safety summit this week in Raleigh.

The goal of the workshop was to review recent incidents in work zones and to discuss solutions to better protect employees and contractors, while also highlighting railroad safety awareness.

Governor Pat McCrory has brought attention to the importance of highway safety through a proclamation urging drivers to take extra care when driving through work zones.

“Our state is dedicated to enhancing work zone safety for both the highway worker and the travelling public,” Governor McCrory said. “Keeping our roads safe is a shared responsibility, and all citizens must do their part.”

This week’s event was led by state transportation chief engineer Mike Holder, and featured presentations by representatives of the various departments within the transportation system.

There were more than 4,600 work zone crashes in North Carolina in 2015, resulting in 19 deaths and 2,475 people injured. Three of the fatalities were construction workers. Tragically, this year has seen 10 more fatalities, including two contractor employees, and over 1,000 injuries.

“Highway safety is one of Governor McCrory’s top priorities,” Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson said. “Our workers face real dangers in work zones everyday. It is important that we continue to look for ways to make these environments as safe as possible for not only the employees and contractors, but also for the drivers who pass through them.” ??

At a roundtable discussion held during the session, there were a series of ideas reviewed to heighten safety in work zones. Those included the increased use of mobile truck-mounted and concrete safety barriers in work areas, and increased training of best practices for workers. Additional measures will increase public awareness efforts to remind drivers to stay off under construction roads that are closed, and a continuing effort to highlight the dangers of distracted driving.

“We scheduled this summit as a way to look at how the NCDOT can improve safety in our work zones in the wake of recent incidents and tragedies,” Holder said. “It was held to brainstorm the means and methods that we can implement to prevent accidents from occurring again.”