In Missouri in 2023...
DISTRACTED DRIVING
contributed to 588 work zone crashes and five fatalities
SPEEDING
involved in 10% of work zone crashes
SEAT BELTS
45% of vehicle occupant fatalities in work zones were not wearing a seat belt
Work zone safety is a serious matter. Check out these current statistics:
- In 2023, MoDOT protective vehicles with truck/trailer-mounted attenuators (TMA) were struck 63 times while protecting crews. This is an increase of 27 hits when compared to the previous year. There were 36 MoDOT TMAs struck in 2022 while protecting crews.
- Each of these TMAs is driven by a person, a public servant working to maintain Missouri’s transportation system.
- These crashes are almost always the result of a driver not paying attention and/or driving too fast.
- These protective vehicles with TMAs serve as a warning to traffic approaching a temporary mobile work zone. The TMA includes a message board and lights to warn/advise motorists of the work zone.
- These protective vehicles with TMAs are the only thing between workers making road improvements/repairs and the traveling public.
Don't Zone Out in Work Zones
- Buckle Up! – Every trip, every time – safety belts save lives.
- Put Your Phone Down! – Dedicate your full attention to the roadway.
- Follow Signs! – They’ll guide you through work zones safely.
- Expect the Unexpected! – Watch for flaggers, workers and equipment.
- Pay Attention! – Turn the radio down and don’t use your cellular phone.
- Be Patient! – Remember workers are improving the road for future travels.
- Don’t Speed!– Follow posted limits and adjust for weather conditions.
- Don’t Drink and Drive! – Impairment of any kind is unacceptable.
- Be Nice! – Merge as directed, don’t tailgate and don’t change lanes in a work zone.
Motorists are reminded to slow down, put their phone down and pay attention as they drive past work zones. Not all work zones look alike. Work zones can be moving operations, such as striping, patching or mowing. They can also be short term, temporary lane closures to make quick repairs or remove debris from the roadway.
Driver inattention was the number one cause of work zone crashes last year. The average text takes five seconds to read. Traveling at 55 mph, you will travel more than the length of a football field—blindfolded. MoDOT’s slow moving maintenance operations move as slow as 10 mph and if you aren’t paying attention to the road, you will come up on the closed lane very quickly.
Using a cell phone while driving is now against the law in Missouri. The Siddens Bening hands free law, which took effect last August, prohibits drivers from physically holding or supporting a cell phone while driving; this includes sending or receiving texts and recording or watching videos. Drivers can face criminal charges for crashes that result in property damage, injury or death.
Any time highway workers are present on a Missouri roadway – whether it’s a long term lane closure, a moving operation, or shoulder work – your safety and the safety of those workers depends on drivers’ focus and attention. Since 2012, the state Slow Down and Move Over law includes MoDOT vehicles parked with amber/white lights flashing. Motorists are required to slow down and change lanes when approaching MoDOT vehicles or law enforcement and emergency vehicles with lights flashing.
The top five contributing circumstances for work zone crashes: distracted/inattentive, following too close, improper lane usage, too fast for conditions and failed to yield.
Please pay attention and drive safely in work zones. Wait to merge and take turns with the other drivers on the road. We want you and our workers to make it home safe every day.
MoDOT wants every employee and all travelers to get home safe. Check out the Traveler Information Map any time you travel and find out what work zones you’ll encounter before you go.