HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS IN CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE WORK ZONES

Statewide accidents in which road under construction was listed as a contributing factor were documented for the period 1983 through 1986. Accident data and traffic control devices used at 20 case study locations were analyzed. Accident data at these locations for a 3-year period before construction were compared with accident data for the period during construction. Approximately 500 accidents per year were reported as occurring in work zones for the period 1983 through 1986. In general, work zone accidents are more severe than other accidents. There are high percentages of rear end and sideswipe accidents; following too close is the most frequently listed contributing factor. There is a high percentage of accidents involving trucks. The analysis of 19 case study locations revealed that at 14 sites the accident rates during construction exceeded those before construction. Of the 14 sites, 10 had rates during construction that exceeded statewide averages and six exceeded statewide critical rates. Similar characteristics (types of accidents and contributing factors) were found to exist at the same study locations when compared with statewide work zone accidents. Traffic control at case study sites was generally found to be in conformance with specified standards.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1990/1270/1270-002.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=HIGHWAY+ACCIDENTS+IN+CONSTRUCTION+AND+MAINTENANCE+WORK+ZONES&author=J.+Pigman&author=K.+Agent&publication_year=1990
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309050529
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1270, Safety Research: Accident Studies, Enforcement, EMS, Management, and Simulation 1990. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

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  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Pigman, Jerry G
  • Agent, Kenneth R
• Publication Date: 1990

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 12-21
• Monograph Title: SAFETY RESEARCH: ACCIDENT STUDIES, ENFORCEMENT, EMS, MANAGEMENT AND SIMULATION 1990
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1270
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Construction sites; Crash rates; Crash severity; Crash types; Fatalities; Following distance; Injuries; Rear end crashes; Side crashes; Traffic control devices; Traffic crashes; Trucks
• Uncontrolled Terms: Contributing factors
• Old TRIS Terms: Following distance, of vehicles
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Safety and Human Factors; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00602707
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0-309-05052-9
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Dec 31 1990 12:00AM