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OCR for page 7
SECTION III
Type of Problem Being Addressed
General Description of the Problem
The safe and efficient flow of traffic through work zones is a high priority for
transportation officials and the motoring public. In a recent survey, work zones were cited
as second to poor traffic flow in causing dissatisfaction with roadway facilities (Keever et
al., 2001). Exhibit III-1 indicates that work zones are estimated to contribute to 10 percent
of the congestion in the United States. This is a rough estimate based upon a variety of
congestion research sources. Although mobility may be the issue most often associated
with work zones, mobility and safety are linked. The Federal Highway Administration has
stated that as congestion builds within and approaching work zones, crash rates increase
(FHWA, 1998).
In 2003, there were 919 fatal crashes (1,028 fatalities) and more than 40,000 persons injured in
work zone crashes on America's highways (FARS, 2005). Exhibit III-2 displays a trend of
increasing deaths attributed to work zones over the last 7 years. During this timeframe,
anecdotal evidence suggests that the number of work zones have increased, although no
definitive evidence or study encompasses all types of work zones. As more and more of the
nation's infrastructure reaches the end of its life cycle, work zones are expected to remain a
familiar sight on our roadways.
Exhibit III-3 shows the distribution of work zone types in which fatal crashes occurred in
2003. The preponderance of crashes occurred in long-term construction zones. Issues faced
by drivers may vary by type of work zone, and safety improvements for all types of work
zones are considered in the strategies discussed in Section V. Despite the large number of
reported work zone fatalities, there is a general sense that the scope of the problem may be
much worse, as there are many inconsistencies in defining and reporting work zone crashes
from state to state.
The safety of roadway construction workers in work zones is also of primary importance.
According to an American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) review
of federal data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roadway construction workers are killed
at a rate nearly three times as high as other construction workers and eight times as high as
general industry workers. The fatality rate for roadway construction workers is 32 people for
every 100,000 workers. By comparison, the rate for all construction is about 13 people per
100,000 workers, and the general industry rate is about 4 people per 100,000 workers
(ARTBA, 2004).
The need for continued emphasis on work zone safety becomes more apparent because
of the current emphasis on system preservation rather than construction of new facilities.
Funding patterns support this point, as the U.S. Department of Transportation reports
that the share of transportation capital funds used for system preservation rose from
47.6 percent in 1997 to 52.0 percent in 2000, and this percentage increase is expected
to continue.
III-1
OCR for page 8
SECTION III--TYPE OF PROBLEM BEING ADDRESSED
EXHIBIT III-1
Sources of Congestion
Traffic Congestion and Reliability, 2004
Special Events/Other (5%)
Poor Signal Timing (5%)
Bad Weather (15%)
Bottlenecks (40%)
Work Zones (10%)
Traffic Incidents (25%)
System preservation--reconstruction of an existing roadway--is inherently more risky
for both construction workers and roadway users than construction on new alignment.
The prevalence of work zones on the roadway network may be best described by
Wunderlich and Hardesty (2003), who report that about 20 percent of the National
Highway System is under construction each year during the peak summer road work
season, with the total number of highway work zones estimated to be more than 6,400.
This study collected project information posted on agency websites, and these websites
would most likely list only large projects rather than a complete list of all projects. Had
EXHIBIT III-2
Number of Work Zone Fatal Crashes and Fatalities, 19942003
1,400
Number of Fatal Crashes
1,200
1,000
or Fatalities
800
600
400
200
0
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Year
Source: FARS Web-Based Encyclopedia, fatal crashes fatalities
January 2005, http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/
III-2
