Texas is the state with the highest number of work zone fatalities, with California coming in second, according to data collected by the National Work Zone Safety Center.
In 2022, 203 highway workers were killed in the Lone Star State, while 117 died in California.
A work zone is a designated area of construction, typically signposted by cones, channeling devices, barriers, pavement markings, or work vehicles.
Discussing the reasons why Texas and California has such high rates of work zone fatalities with Newsweek, University of Texas professor Chandra Bhat said that in those states you have a "trifecta in operation, causing more work zone crashes and fatalities."
"Both states are close to the Mexican border, with quite a bit of truck traffic, most of this is on interstate systems," he said.
Bhat said that both states had "vast" interstate systems, increasing the volume of traffic in those regions. He added that both are locations of "high speed" as well.
This means that there is "more chances of vehicle/pedestrian conflicts in both states at work zone locations," he said.
New Hampshire was the only state in 2022 that had no fatalities in these zones, with Alaska, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wyoming each recording one death.
That year, there was a total of 891 work zone deaths across the U.S., with 136 of those being pedestrians.
This was a decrease from the year before when the total reached a peak of 963. The number had not been as high since 2006, with 2002 being the year with the most fatalities in this century.
However, while the overall number of deaths dropped in 2022, the Texas Department of Transportation found that the number of road deaths caused by crashes increased in 2023.
In 2022, the number was 185, while last year, it was 190, with another 803 left seriously injured. There was a total of 26,000 crashes in work zones that year.
The department reported that 77 percent of those killed in these crashes were drivers or their passengers, while two roadside workers were also killed.
Work zone crashes take place within the boundaries of a zone or on an approach or exit, according to the National Safety Council.
Citing reasons why work zone deaths happen, the Federal Highway Administration referred to "daily changes in traffic patterns, narrowed rights of way, and other construction activities" as resulting in a combination of factors that lead to crashes, injuries, and fatalities.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.
English (US) ·