Despite numerous campaigns and even laws banning them, distracted driving and driving under the influence continue to pose significant but preventable risks to drivers, roadside workers and other roadside pedestrians. A new report from AutoInsurance.com reveals just how dangerous work zone crashes can be for roadside workers such as tow truck operators, construction workers, law enforcement officers, EMTs and other first responders.

Using data from OSHA, the Associated General Contractors of America and fatality reports from ResponderSafety.com, the April 2024 analysis found that nearly 500 roadside workers were fatally struck by cars since 2020, about half of which were construction and maintenance workers. This amounts to an average of 122 workers killed by vehicular strike every year from 2020–2023, with a high of 150 fatalities occurring in 2021. And 2024 has already seen 10 roadside fatalities in the first two months of the year.

In fact, of the workplace incidents OSHA tracks, 7% of workplace fatalities in 2020 and 2021, and 9% in 2022 and 2023, were due to vehicle strikes.

Looking at individual states, the report found that Oregon experienced the highest rate of roadside worker deaths from vehicle strikes at 0.4 fatalities per 100,000 residents between 2020 and 2023. Texas had the highest overall number of fatalities, with 50 workers struck and killed by cars in that period. Vermont was the only state with zero roadside worker fatalities from 2020–2023.

This is not a short-term problem, either. Citing the National Safety Council, the report noted that fatal vehicular crashes occurring near road construction zones “sharply spiked” by 63% from 2010–2021, indicating the growing crisis of distracted driving and driving under the influence, particularly around work zones.

Workers remain keenly aware of the risks they face in roadside work and the importance of work zone safety measures to reduce risk. According to data from the 2022 Work Zone Awareness Survey examined in the report, “64% of contractors reported one or more crashes in a work zone from 2021 to 2022,” and 58% “felt that the risk of highway work zone crashes increased year over year,” with cellphone use, speeding and traffic noted as the most likely reasons for the increasing danger to their safety.

Workers also remain at risk of injuries or even fatalities due to drivers under the influence. Recently, a roadside worker in West Virginia was struck by a car and thrown 60 feet, sustaining serious injuries that necessitated a three-week hospital stay. The driver was later charged with a DUI.

This report comes on the heels of National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW), which was held April 15–19. NWZAW is an annual spring campaign to encourage safe driving through highway work zones. This year’s theme was “Work zones are temporary. Actions behind the wheel can last forever.”