Work Zone Safety is Everybody’s Responsibility
A work zone crash occurs once every 5.4 minutes. You can help reduce this shocking number.
Take your time and slow down when driving in an orange zone. And help raise awareness about dangers near roadway construction by participating in National Work Zone Awareness Week.
National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is held in April as an annual campaign partnership between state departments of transportation (DOT), national road safety organizations, government agencies, private companies, and individuals like you.
As an employer, you can remind your workers about their responsibility to slow down, pay attention, and be cautious while driving in a work zone – not just in April – throughout the entire year!
Work Zone Crashes Kill Workers – and Drivers
Driving safely in a work zone is important not only for the workers but also for drivers moving through it. Statistics from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) show about 10-15% of work zone fatalities are workers, which mean that about 85-90% are drivers.
The numbers of accidents that occur in work zones are astonishing. From 2021-2022, commercial motor vehicle and fatal work zone crashes that involved speeding increased. One work zone fatality occurred for every 4 billion vehicle-miles of travel and for every $112 million worth of roadway construction expenditures.
Work Zone Crashes and Fatalities
These are the most recent numbers from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and FHWA (2023):
- 101,000 – Estimated total work zone crashes
- 39,000 – Estimated work zone injuries
- 899 – Total fatalitiesÂ
- 818 – Fatal crash incidents
- 307 – Fatalities involving a commercial motor vehicle
- 176 – Pedestrian fatalities
Work Zone Economic Impacts
Roadway work zones restrict traffic flow and increase travel costs. And crashes make things even worse. Here’s the estimated impact of work zones:
- $34 billion in comprehensive crash costs
- 10% of national traffic congestion is estimated to be due to work zones
- $7.4 billion in user delay costs due to congestion
- 400 million hours of vehicle delays
9 Essential Tips to Reduce Work Zone Crashes
- Pay attention to work zone signs
- Leave enough space between you and the motorist in front of you
- Be prepared to stop or slow unexpectedly
- Expect to stop when you see a FLAGGER AHEAD sign
- If stopped or slowed in a traffic queue, consider turning on your flashers to warn traffic coming up behind you
- Watch for traffic and workers going into or out of the work zone
- Get into the open lane as soon as possible at lane closures
- Be aware of motorists racing to get ahead of you or trying to turn in front of you at the last second
- Use alternative routes to avoid work zones whenever feasible
(Tips from Work Zone Safety)
National Work Zone Awareness Week is a great opportunity to remind your employees to be patient and take their time driving through work zones. There is very little room for error and a few extra minutes could mean the difference in saving a life.