DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – In recognition of National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 17–21, 2023, TxDOT is calling on motorists to make driving safely a priority when passing through the state’s thousands of active work zones.
According to TXDOT, in 2022, more than 25,000 traffic crashes occurred in work zones in Texas, resulting in 205 deaths and another 788 serious injuries.
The department said that the vast majority of those killed in Texas work zone crashes were drivers or their passengers. In 2022, 175 motorists and vehicle passengers were killed, along with 27 pedestrians, 2 bicyclists, and 1 roadside worker. Speeding, driver inattention, and unsafe lane changes were among the leading causes of work zone crashes.
“Despite a 16% decrease in traffic fatalities in Texas work zones last year, 205 people still lost their lives and another 788 people were seriously injured in work zone traffic crashes,” said TXDOT’s Traffic Safety Project Manager, Ruby Martinez. “While a decline in fatalities is encouraging to see, even one life lost is too many.”
According to Martinez, Texas has more than 3,300 active work zones and driving conditions in them can be challenging. When traveling through work zones, Texas motorists may encounter single-lane traffic, extra congestion, slow-moving heavy equipment, temporary barriers and vehicles that make sudden stops. TxDOT road crews are often working only a few feet away from fast-moving vehicles in these areas. Speeding, driver inattention and unsafe lane changes are the top three factors in work zone crashes.
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