A new highway work-zone study conducted by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America shows that 67% of highway contractors reported that motor vehicles had crashed into their construction work zones during the past year.
The work-zone safety study was based on a nationwide survey of highway construction firms that AGC conducted this April and May, with nearly 400 contractors completing the survey. In response to these study findings, AGC officials are launching a new media safety education campaign urging drivers to slow down and remain alert in highway work zones.
AGC said for the contractors who reported incidents on their projects, 70% said the crashes resulted in motor-vehicle operator or passenger injuries. Additionally 28% of those crashes resulted in a fatality for a driver or passenger.
These work-zone crashes also pose a threat to highway workers, as 28% of the work-zone crashes reported injured workers, while 8% of the reported crashes resulted in a worker death.
Association officials are launching the nationwide outreach campaign to try to improve highway work-zone safety for workers and motorists alike. As part of the new effort, AGC officials will be using radio stations and social media platforms to raise awareness and get their message out regarding appropriate driver behavior when passing through construction sites.
AGC also is working with construction equipment and technology firms to develop systems to better alert workers when vehicles come too close to job sites. Association chapters will continue to work with local and state police as well as state DOTs to ensure proper highway work-zone protections are in place.
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Source: Associated General Contractors of America
