TRB: More Needed for Highway Work Zone Safety

This article highlights a recent blog post by the Transportation Research Board re-emphasizing the need for extensive research, planning, and technological advancements to enhance the safety of highway work zones for construction workers and motorists. It sheds light on the unforeseen challenges posed by traffic queues, a primary contributor to work zone accidents, citing a tragic incident in Maryland where six highway workers lost their lives. It delves into various resources and research endeavors dedicated to enhancing work zone safety, including the utilization of the Highway Capacity Manual for calculating roadway capacity and identifying potential traffic queues, the implementation of transportation management plans, and investigations into the effectiveness of countermeasures such as vehicle-mounted electronic variable message signs. Additionally, it touches upon the exploration of self-driving trucks with attenuators as a potential solution to safeguard workers in construction zones.