A Guide to Preventing Work Zone Intrusions: Best Practices for Mitigating, Controlling and Minimizing the Effects of Work Zone Intrusions

Vehicle intrusion incidents occur when a vehicle enters the work area. Work zone intrusions are a significant cause of worker deaths and injuries in the roadway and transportation construction industry. On average, 60 industry workers are killed annually from being struck by vehicles and equipment in roadway construction zones. While such intrusions may be due to driver recklessness, inattention, distraction, or impairment, they may also take place due to improper temporary traffic control. This means controls may be necessary that do not rely on the motorists’ assessment of a situation and go beyond the plans and specifications outlined in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This guidance document provides a set of coordinated transportation management strategies and describes how they might be used to manage the work zone impacts of a roadway construction project. Transportation management strategies for a work zone include temporary traffic control measures and devices, safe work practices, training, planning and coordination, and worker protection.