Highway construction workers often do their jobs within inches of speeding vehicles and potential sideswipes. It\u2019s dangerous, and the numbers aren\u2019t trending in the right direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t realize what a rearview mirror at 45, 55, 65 miles an hour can do,\u201d said Skip Powe, principal at Nashville, Tennessee-based engineering firm Smith Seckman Reid. \u201cA mirror upside the head at 55, hard hat or not, you\u2019re in trouble.”<\/p>\n
Powe\u2019s comments came during a briefing hosted by the Associated General Contractors of America, highlighting its annual report surveying highway construction<\/a> builders.<\/p>\n More highway construction work will start in the coming months \u2014 as the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will bring $110 billion in new funding for roads and bridges \u2014 and motorist collisions have not shown any signs of slowing down, literally, as distracted driving and speeding become an increasing concern, especially for workers on the front lines.<\/p>\n The IIJA will benefit construction and the nation\u2019s aging infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to see a lot more of that highway work thanks to that bipartisan infrastructure bill,\u201d said AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson during the briefing. More highway work, however, means more drivers traveling at high speeds through an increased number of work zones.<\/p>\n The AGC report finds highway workers more likely to be struck by a vehicle while working than any other time in the last 17 years. According to the survey, 64% of respondents reported at least one crash on their jobsites in the last year. One third reported five or more crashes in the last 12 months.\u00a0<\/p>\n Workers sustained injuries in 18% of those incidents, and died in 7%. Nevertheless, workzone collisions prove more fatal to drivers and passengers: 41% reported those in the car sustaining injuries with 15% dying as a result of the collision.\u00a0<\/p>\n Though the IIJA sets aside funds for worker safety improvements,<\/a> Simonson said the AGC views this issue as a state-by-state problem, and encourages their chapters and members to encourage local legislatures to provide deterrents to make highway work zones safer.\u00a0<\/p>\n AGC and its affiliates say they train workers to take more stock of their surroundings, while researching technology like wearables alerting workers to nearby vehicles. But even that won\u2019t solve the problem.<\/p>\n \u201cElected officials need to do more to protect workers and motorists in highway work zones,\u201d Simonson said.<\/p>\n Marty McKee, vice president of King Asphalt in Liberty, South Carolina, said he\u2019s seen an abundance of recent roadway work, but the government has required his teams work at night on both primary and secondary routes, something he described as \u201ca different animal.\u201d Late at night, drivers speed more and take more chances on what they perceive as more open roads, Powe said.<\/p>\n Some work zones use barriers to protect workers, but even when those work, it can inflate the project cost. Some projects don\u2019t even have those barriers.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of the time we\u2019re just using cones out there, so we\u2019re sitting ducks,\u201d McKee said.<\/p>\n Drivers have also driven faster as more return to the major roadways, experts said during the briefing. During the earlier days of COVID-19, fewer drivers filled the roads, leading to average speeds increasing. Now, more drivers commute every day, and they don\u2019t want to slow down. Just above half of drivers who increased driving during the pandemic reported driving 10 mph or more above the speed limit on residential streets, AAA reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Contractors need to push for a police presence and more automated enforcement, said Steve McGough, president and CEO of construction software provider HCSS. Often, McGough said, a single police vehicle won\u2019t deter drivers enough;\u00a0one officer should watch the site and another should pull over violators speeding past work zones.<\/p>\n Automated enforcement, McGough said, has proven effective, often with increasing fines for those who repeatedly speed through highway jobsites. Nevertheless, all drivers need to practice safer, basic practices.<\/p>\n \u201cBest thing we can do is slow down,\u201d McGough said. \u201cThe best thing we can do is put our phone down.\u201d<\/p>\n This item was originally posted here: Read More<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"