Beyond The Barriers - Work Zone Safety

As we all string and weave our way along the web of roads and highways crisscrossing our cities and countryside, it’s easy to become complacent behind the wheel. But through the hustle and bustle of daily commutes and weekend getaways, there’s a space for caution and vulnerability - work zones. These areas of construction and maintenance work, marked by barrels and flashing lights, signs and crash trucks, concrete and steel barriers, are not just inconveniences to our journey; they are dynamic and changing environments where the lives of folks hang in the balance between them working safety and you driving safely.

Work zone safety isn’t just about protecting the workers braving the elements; it’s about protecting everyone who passes through these zones - the workers, the drivers, the passengers alike. It’s a shared responsibility that demands everyone’s attention and cooperation.

According to statistics from the United States Federal Highway Administration based on the FARS data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2022 alone there were 821 total fatal work zone crashes in the United States. 94 of those fatalities involved workers while the remainder involved drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Think back to March of 2023 when 6 workers were killed while working on the Baltimore Beltway when a vehicle plowed through the work zone, entering in between Temporary Concrete Barriers set up to protect the workers. 6 lives were lost that day, 6 people who woke up and went to work to feed their families never made it home.

How about the September 2023 incident on highway 401 in Toronto’s east end where a vehicle entered into a work zone at a high rate of speed and hit a worker, altering that worker’s life forever. Or the worker who was struck by a vehicle on Allen Road in Toronto. Did any of these folks deserve that? Absolutely not.

First and foremost, before we talk about the things in place to delineate and protect workers, let’s talk about awareness. How many times have we approached a work zone only to realize we’re going a too fast? We’ve all done it; it’s a common scenario that can have dire consequences. We need to do more to build a culture of heightened awareness when entering work zones. This means obeying speed limits, paying attention to signage, and anticipating changes in road conditions. For most of us, the only time we learn about these things is when we’re writing our driver’s license tests for the first time or doing our road test. For the most part, we get this information when we’re 16 years old and then never again (barring certain circumstances where we need to re-write or re-do our driver’s testing). More can, and in my opinion, should be done.

Even thinking back, besides having to take a quiz to identify which signs were which, I don’t remember touching much on work zones in driving school. If we’re going to teach people how to drive and what to be aware of when driving, then that awareness should also extend to workers on the ground. These individuals are our neighbors, our friends, our family members. They deserve our utmost respect and consideration.

I get it, for a lot of us, when we’re driving to get from points A to B, it’s easy to see road work as nothing more than obstacles delaying our journey. We don’t see, or think about the faces behind the hard hats, you know, the hard-working folks striving to improve our infrastructure for the betterment of all of us.

If we’re going to talk about work zone awareness on the part of the motoring public though, we have to also consider awareness on the part of the companies organizing and executing the work itself. Safety measures play the most important role in work zone protection. From traffic control devices to personal protective equipment, these measures are the frontline defense against tragedy. But safety isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution; it’s a multifaceted approach that requires constant evaluation and adaptation. Are the barriers sturdy enough? Are the workers adequately trained? These are questions that demand answers, not just for the sake of compliance but for the preservation of life.

In all of this, let’s not forget the power of education. Work zone safety should be ingrained in our driving culture from the moment we first grip the steering wheel and reiterated throughout our driving lives. Whether it’s through driver’s education courses or public awareness campaigns, we have a duty to instill the importance of safety in work zones. After all, knowledge is power, and in this case, it’s the power to save lives.

In the grand scheme of transportation, work zones may seem like mere stitches, easily overlooked in the chaos of our daily lives. But pull on one thread, and the whole fabric unravels. Work zone safety isn’t just about protecting a few; it’s about protecting the integrity of our transportation system as a whole and valuing the sanctity of human life.

So the next time you approach a work zone, remember: it’s not just a detour or an inconvenience; it’s a call to action. Slow down, stay alert, and respect the folks who make the roads safer for us all.

?#WorkZoneSafety #RoadSafety #ProtectingLives #NWZAW2024