TxDOT report investigates work zone crashes

A Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) report, released October 2004, investigates the reasons behind the high incident rates of work zone accidents in Texas. Since at least 1994, Texas has consistently had the highest number of work zone accidents in the country. Even by population-adjusted stats, Texas had twice as many fatalities in construction zones as New York, and six times as many as Ohio.

An Analysis Of Fatal Work Zone Crashes In Texas studied 77 fatal work zone crash sites throughout Texas from February 2003 through April 2004. The purpose was to determine the variables that caused the accidents, and tried to determine what TxDOT could do to improve traffic safety around work zones.

The report concluded that only 8% of the accidents investigated were directly a result of the work zone, and 39% were indirectly caused. A full 45% of the accidents seemed to researchers to have no direct link to the work zone. The authors did note however that different reporting methods from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and that some interpretation on the part of the researchers was necessary. Also, inexperienced officers may have missed key elements of the work zone in their reports that may have given researchers a different interpretation. Some may also argue that 77 accidents is not a large enough sample size to get a true view of the real statistics.

 

Despite the possible limitations, researchers discovered the following about the accidents studied:

 

  • 29% involved large trucks (18-wheelers, etc.)
  • 22% involved drunk driving
  • 92% occurred in clear conditions
  • 16% occurred at a time when there was no construction activity
  • 77% occurred in the work and buffer areas
  • 85% occurred on an Interstate, U.S. Highway, or Texas State Highway
  • 8% of the crashes were caused by improper safety controls
  • 26% of crashes could be prevented through different safety standards

 

 

Experts state that traffic safety within road construction and maintenance work zones has increased tremendously since a state-wide program of regulating work zones went into effect in the 1970s. However the statistics show, and this report underlines, that there is still room more improvement.

Contact a defective road accident lawyer today

If you have been injured in an auto accident, either because of an unsafe work zone or because you were struck by another driver, contact Jim S. Adler & Associates for a free case review. Medical bills and lost time from work can add up quickly, and you don’t need to worry about the financial security of your family on top of everything else.

We’ll help you learn your rights, and help you protect them to get the largest compensation package possible. Call us directly, or contact us by clicking the link on this page.
 

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