Road Work Safety Stats and Facts

FACTS

Construction, maintenance, utilities workers, landscaping, emergency workers, and all other occupations who may conduct activities on or along the road are exposed to hazards such as:

1. Speeding.
2. Driving under the influence of alcohol and other psychoactive substances.
3. Non-use of motorcycle helmets, seatbelts, and child restraints
4. Distracted driving.
5. Unsafe road infrastructure.
6.  Unsafe vehicles.
7. Inadequate post-crash care.
8. Inadequate law enforcement of traffic laws.

STATS

Work Zone Accident Statistics

• 43 % of work zone crashes resulted in fatality or injury.
• There was a total of 1,778 work zone crashes, with 19 fatalities and 1,106 injuries.
• 3 of the 19 fatalities were work zone employees.
• 1,345 crashes occurred on a state highway, 312, on the turnpike, and 151 on a local road.
• Most work zone accidents were committed by passenger cars (49 percent) and SUVs (42 %).
• Car accidents involving dangerous pavement-edge drop-offs kill approximately 160 people and injure 11,000 every year.
• Crashes in highway work zones have killed at least 4,700 Americans – more than two a day – and injured 200,000 in the last five years alone.
• About 85% of people killed in work zones are motorists, not workers.
• There are more than 40,000 injuries in work zones each year.
• Approximately one work zone fatality occurs every 10 hours (2.3 a day).
• Approximately one work zone injury occurs every 13 minutes (110 a day).