About three in five contractors have experienced at least one vehicle crash in a roadway workzone in the last year. Nearly a third have counted five or more crashes.
That’s according to a survey of members of the Associated General Contractors of America conducted by the contractor group in partnership with construction software firm HCSS.
“Every day tens of thousands of Americans work alongside our highways, often with little more between them and rushing traffic than an orange barrel,” AGC CEO Jeffrey Shoaf said during a webinar about the report. “Our data shows that too often, the American people are letting them down.”
As it has in the past, AGC’s survey indicated that drivers and passengers are much more likely to be injured or killed in work zone collisions than construction workers.
Thirty percent of contractors said they had experienced an injury as a result of a collision, compared with 71% that said a driver or passenger was injured. Meanwhile, 13% of contractors reported at least one worker fatality stemming from a collision, compared to 24% that reported at least one death of a passenger or driver.
What can be done
Contractors overwhelmingly believe more can be done to protect workers and motorists alike, with 47% saying jobsites are a greater risk now than a year ago.
Nearly 40% said penalties for speeding in work zones are sufficient, but enforcement is not, while 36% said existing penalties are insufficient.
The top methods respondents believe could improve safety include greater police presence at work zone construction sites (80%), stricter enforcement of existing laws regarding work zone
moving violations (70%) and stricter laws around cell phone usage (66%).
“Too few drivers see the need to slow down and pay attention in work zones because too few states have made work zone safety a priority,” Shoaf said.
The AGC and other groups have urged Congress to act in enforcing stricter laws around road work and safety. The American Traffic Safety Services Association and the National Asphalt Pavement Association said in April that they will lead a coalition to address work zone safety in the next federal highway bill.
But states have also taken initiative. On the webinar was Michael Gallant, director of industry relations and government affairs for Boston-based software firm Haulhub Technologies.
In partnership with the Delaware DOT, as well as DOTs in Iowa, Nebraska and Louisiana, Haulhub worked on a federal program to collect construction data to inform drivers.
By gathering verified worker events from contractors over the last two years, Haulhub has pushed information to apps like Waze. The result is alerting drivers using the app when work is actually taking place, with the end goal of leading them to slow down.
“It’s about making sure that when someone steps into a work zone, they’re not invisible,” Gallant said.
