‘This must stop’: US business owners demand action to make highway workers safer

It’s been just over a year since a paving superintendent working for ST Wooten Corporation, where Alford is vice president of heavy road grading and utilities, was fatally struck by a vehicle in Raleigh, SC. North.

“We know first-hand the dangers of driving into traffic jams. We currently have some large interstate projects, as well as all resurfacing work. We’ve seen things like bottles thrown at our employees, windows destroyed by BB guns, flaggers beaten.

“And unfortunately, in May of last year, a paving superintendent was struck during a lane closure and killed. Several of his employees saw what happened. One of them has not returned to work since due to the trauma. This family had four children who lost their father. This is something that needs to stop,” Alford told reporters during a press briefing last week.

It turned out that the driver had entered the country illegally, meaning he did not have a driver’s license and was impaired. They fled but were caught shortly after.

“We are a safety-focused company, but with the number of cars that pass by every day, there’s not much we can do,” Alford continued. “We try to tell our guys to work with the head swivel because you never know what’s going on behind or next to you. Parts were thrown at trucks and other vehicles. It’s dangerous out there and the more we can do to protect our employees, the sooner we can get these roads built and away from people.

Alford’s comments are part of a campaign by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) to encourage more enforcement of highway work zones at the state and federal levels in the United States, in order to encourage better driver behavior. It is also making a direct appeal to drivers themselves to consider workers on the road, producing two videos featuring companies including ST Wooten and Balfour Beatty to raise awareness (see below ).

Accidents in work zones are common, survey finds

A survey by AGC and HCSS found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of U.S. construction companies undertaking highway upgrade projects reported motor vehicles crashing in their work zones construction over the past year (see survey results below or click here for national results).

The findings add weight to figures from the Centers Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that show roadside construction sites alone account for nearly 3% of all fatal workplace incidents each year in the United States. United. More than 2,000 workers lost their lives on road construction sites between 2003 and 2019, an average of 124 per year, according to CDC data compiled by law firm Arnold & Itkin. Meanwhile, about 76% of fatal roadside construction site injuries between 2011 and 2017 were “transportation events” and about two-thirds of them were workers who were struck by a vehicle in the area of construction, according to Arnold & Itkin.

“Although work zones are dangerous all year round, these risks only increase during the summer. That’s because it’s a time of year when many people hit the road for vacation,” said Jeff Shoaf, CEO of AGC.

“This summer, thanks to the infusion of federal funds from the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed several years ago, that means even more men and women will be working this summer just a few feet and sometimes just a few centimeters of even more vehicles traveling at high speed. Unfortunately, drivers are too often distracted. They are driving at high speeds or are under the influence when passing through these work zones. Additionally, most states do little or nothing to educate motorists about work zone safety or to protect workers and motorists in work zones.

Shoaf said two-thirds of business owners want states to pass stricter laws against cell phone use while driving, while 60 percent want automated enforcement (like speed cameras) in highway work zones.

He added: “Transport officials are also too reluctant to provide greater separation between workers and motorists.

“64% of contractors say that road closures and traffic diversions could help improve road safety near their work area. Over the years, we have seen how strict enforcement changes driver behavior. But too few drivers are aware of the need to slow down and pay attention to work zones, because too few states have made work zone safety a top priority.

Recommended measures

The AGC said it is pushing Congress to require a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to collect data on crashes in work zones, including who is killed or injured. The AGC also wants states to develop behavioral solutions to reduce crashes in road work zones, while working with its locals to push for better enforcement and education measures.

Steve McGough, President and CEO of SCSSthe construction industry software company which helped carry out the survey, said road owners should start recognizing construction workers as vulnerable road users (VRU).

“This is important because the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) now requires states to create policies and implement programs to better protect VRUs. Unfortunately, most states only think about pedestrians, people with disabilities, cyclists, etc. When they develop protection plans, they forget that workers are part of this community. We need the industry to put pressure on states and other road owners to ensure road workers are included in their safety plan,” he said.

He also called for increased enforcement of measures in work zones. “Too many work zones have only one officer present, making it difficult to enforce speeding laws. Let’s make two mandatory or make speed checks mandatory,” he said. “Do it federally, enforce it with higher fines or loss of license.”

He also acknowledged the “good news” that the IIJA authorized the use of federal funds to fund law enforcement. “In the last year alone, at least 10 additional states have completed or begun the process of having state law authorize their use. New states include New York, Indiana, Kentucky, Washington, California, Michigan and Illinois, which are updating their laws to cover this issue,” he said.

“We are proud of the progress we have made so far and the number of work zone deaths is declining, but we still have much work to do,” he added.

For Alford, while enforcement is undoubtedly helpful, he believes that ultimately drivers need to start taking more responsibility for their actions.

“We ask drivers to just be aware of what’s happening when they go through these work zones,” he concluded.

“People need to slow down – they run so fast they don’t have time to react. There are many traffic control devices out there and they are great, but if people don’t pay attention to them they always speed. The slower you move, the better off everyone is.