Two just-released sets of statistics tell the same story, Illinois roadways are getting safer.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, work zone fatalities in 2008 were down 29.6% from 2003. 44 people, including five construction workers, were killed in Illinois work zone crashes in 2003. Those numbers fell to 31 deaths, including two workers, in 2008.

After those high numbers in 2003, the state put together a Work Zone Safety Task Force that  helped make several safety changes, including stiffer penalties for speeding in work zones.