• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Logo

Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

Library of Resources to Improve Roadway Work Zone Safety for All Roadway Users

  • About
  • Join Listserv
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Work Zone Data
    • At a Glance
    • National & State Traffic Data
    • Work Zone Traffic Crash Trends and Statistics
    • Worker Fatalities and Injuries at Road Construction Sites
  • Topics of Interest
    • Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety
    • Smart Work Zones
    • Transportation Management Plans
    • Accommodating Pedestrians
    • Worker Safety and Welfare
    • Project Coordination in Work Zones
  • Training
    • Flagger
    • Online Courses
    • Toolboxes
    • FHWA Safety Grant Products
    • Certification and
      Accreditation
  • Work Zone Devices
  • Laws, Standards & Policies
    • COVID-19 Guidance
  • Public Awareness
  • Events
  • About
  • Listserv
  • Contact
  • Search
Publication

Detailed Study of Accident Experience in Construction and Maintenance Zones

Author/Presenter: Ha, Tae-Jun.; Nemeth, Zoltan A.
Abstract:

The objective of this study was to identify means by which improved traffic control can improve traffic safety in work zones. The accident data base (1982-86) was derived from the coded information stored in the computerized data bank of the Ohio Department of Highway Safety. (The department has since been renamed the Ohio Department of Public Safety.) Coding errors and unreported accidents were recognized as limitations of the data base. Statistical analysis of statewide aggregate data failed to identify cause-and-effect relationships between accident characteristics and traffic control. The study was expanded to include the review of individual accident reports at nine construction sites. This approach proved very effective. The accident reports, which always included a sketch and a description of the event, often indicated that specific traffic control procedures and standards needed to be improved. It has become clear to the researchers that certain types of accidents at a given work zone can suggest specific problems with traffic control plans and/or with the implementation of the plans. Monitoring work zone accidents as they happen is of course the best way to recognize and eliminate problems. In fact, independently from this study, a Work Zone Task Force of the Ohio Department of Transportation that included engineers with intimate knowledge of work zone traffic control practices based on field experience has already recommended improvements in traffic control standards and practices.

Source: Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
Volume: 1509
Publisher: Transportation Research Board
Publication Date: 1995
Full Text URL: Link to URL
Publication Types: Books, Reports, Papers, and Research Articles
Topics: Crash Data; Crash Reports; Temporary Traffic Control; Work Zones

Copyright © 2023 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse is a project of the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation. It is operated in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and Texas A&M Transportation Institute. | Copyright Statement · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer
American Road and Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation, American Road and Transportation Builders Association U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Texas A&M Transportation Institute