How can the rate of death and injury in highway traffic zones be reduced?

Forcing motorists to slow down in work zones is the most popular answer, and it's probably the best answer. In Michigan over the last few years, in order to bring about lower speeds in work zones, speed limits have been reduced, traffic fines have been doubled, police patrols have been added, and a high-profile public relations campaign has been in effect.

The efforts may be increasing awareness for how dangerous road construction can be, but the "Give 'em a Brake - Slower Speeds Save Lives," campaign started in 1996 so far had a mixed effect on construction site safety.

According to the state Department of Transportation, crashes in Michigan work zones increased from 5,434 in 1995 to 7,291 in 1999. There were 2,226 work zone injuries in 1999, a 12.7 percent decrease from 1997. But work zone deaths have skyrocketed from 16 in 1995 to 26 in 1999. The vast majority of the injured and killed have been motorists.

Hundreds of Laborers Local 1191 members know they can be victims of a crash, injury, or worse when they go to work every day. Local 1191 Business Manager Jimmy Cooper said there's nothing wrong with the "Brake" campaign that a little enforcement wouldn't cure.

"You put a police car just before a construction site, drivers slow down, and lives are saved," he said. "It's that simple. And the police don't have to be put at all sites, just the big ones. Those are where we have the most problems."

According to Michigan Road Builders Association spokesman Gary Naeyaert, the state has authorized the spending of $350,000 this year - double the amount spent a year ago - and $500,000 next year to have state troopers work voluntary overtime and patrol construction sites. This year, that expenditure amounts to about 7,700 hours worth of policing.

"Statistics show that the presence of law enforcement leads to a reduction in accidents and injuries," said Michigan State Police Lieutenant Colonel Madden. "The Michigan State Police is pleased to expand this highly successful team effort with MDOT. Speeding is the biggest danger workers and motorists face."

Nationwide, 772 people were killed and 39,000 were injured in construction work zones in 1998, the last year for which data is available. On average, 760 people are killed in work zones every year.

"There is no such thing as an acceptable number of fatalities; our goal is zero fatalities," Naeyaert said. "But you can see by the numbers that motorists are causing their own problems, they're the ones who usually get hurt or injured in in construction site crashes. They could do themselves and the workers a big favor by slowing down."

The Engineering News Record said this month that "contractors, contracting agencies and government policy makers finally are coming together to declare war on this carnage."

The federal government established the Highway Work Zone Safety Awareness Week during the first week of April to publicize the hazards of work zones. In addition, the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse has been established by the Federal Highway Administration.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is about to release a report on work zone safety that will contain recommendations on what roadbuilders, maintainers, contracting agencies and policy makers can do to save lives.

The ENR said the report will contain the following highlights:

• The cost of safety needs to be incorporated into bidding specifications, so that contractors won't be able to skimp on barriers, equipment or procedures.
• "Contrary to the view of many contractors," the ENR said, NIOSH believes that a much greater emphasis needs to be placed on control of construction traffic and equipment in the work zone, rather than on the motoring public. The agency said that nearly half of work zone fatalities are inside the work area and do not involve motorists. Many of these fatalities are workers on foot in the zone who are killed by backing construction vehicles.
• OSHA should place the use of high-visibility clothing as high-priority personal protection equipment.

The findings didn't convince Cooper. "We've already got good barriers in Michigan, and our people already wear the proper clothing," he said "None of what they're talking about is going to stop the speeding driver or the drunk from crashing through the barriers. But if drivers see a police car, I guarantee they're going to slow down."