Here at Constructech, Connected World, and The Peggy Smedley Show, I have been sounding the alarm for years about the dangers of distracted driving. Awareness is particularly important in the construction industry, where work zone safety is a top priority for many.
The hard reality is that work zones are still not a safe place, according to recent numbers from the AGC (Associated General Contractors of America). In fact, the organization’s recent survey found nearly two-thirds of firms working on highway upgrades experienced vehicles crashing into work zones during the past year. What’s more, 24% of respondents report experiencing five or more crashes during the past 12 months. Yikes.
That number is frightening, but quite frankly doesn’t really surprise me. If we look at the most recent overall numbers, in 2022, there were more than 3,000 people killed in traffic crashes involving distracted drivers, according to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Admin.). That same year nearly 290,000 people were injured in traffic crashes involving distracted drivers. In 2022, there were 621 nonoccupants killed in distraction-affected crashes. These were pedestrians, cyclists, construction workers, and other people who were not in a vehicle.
This is far too many lives—not to mention it creates a very dangerous working environment for road construction workers.
Interestingly, when looking at injuries on the work sites, the AGC survey shows among respondents who report experiencing work zone crashes, 29% experienced crashes that resulted in injury to construction workers, but more than twice as many firms—66%—report experiencing a crash in which drivers or passengers were injured.
Work zone crashes are also almost three times as likely to result in fatalities to drivers or passengers as construction workers. Only 9% of contractors in the survey report that construction workers were killed in work zone crashes, while 24% say drivers or passengers were killed in those crashes. Either way, that is still far too many deaths.
Perhaps one of the scariest statistics to come out of this survey is that 49% of contractors report highway work zones are more dangerous than they were a year ago. We are trending in the wrong direction here. You’ve got to be kidding me. We can do better, and we should.
What Can Be Done?
Certainly, there are many steps we can take to begin to address this—although it is a long road. The AGC suggests public officials should enhance work zone safety laws, as work zone safety laws have failed to keep pace with the growing dangers.
Roughly 64% of contractors report the current penalties for moving violations in highway work zones are not sufficient to deter unsafe driving behavior. Also, two-thirds want states to pass stricter laws against cellphone usage and distracted driving in works zones and 60% want automated enforcement in these zones.
To assist in this effort, AGC is working with its network of chapters to push for better enforcement and education measures. For example, South Carolina has begun mandating work zone safety education for new drivers and Vermont just authorized automated speed enforcement in highway work zones.
Certainly, education and enforcement are two critical components to reducing distracted driving—something I have written about here on the blog many times. But the reality is our roads aren’t safe for several reasons, one of which is our infrastructure. We can in fact build our roads—and our work zones—to be safer. We can also leverage technology to be safer. There are many steps we can take on this long road to greater safety. I am certain those reading this blog can offer a few suggestions to stop this downward spiral. Please do.
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