Highway Fatality Statistics
- Nov 14, 2012
In 2008, there were at total of 36,541 fatalities on US road system. Highest by state:
- California 3,364
- Texas 3,248
- Florida 2,897
- Pennsylvania 1,445
- Georgia 1,457
There were also a total of 720 fatalities in Construction/Maintenance zones along those same road systems. Highest by state:
- Texas 134
- Florida 81
- California 70
- Georgia 36
- Illinois 31
In 2008, 101 of those fatalities were related to vehicles passing through roadside construction.
While studies are still being conducted on different types of reflective material s and colors for hi-visibility garments, the dangers are still present. Uniform traffic devices are used to allow for a safer road-side working environment, but construction sites along highways will always have the unavoidable hazard of passing vehicles, with distracted driving through use of cell phones and drinking and drugging on the road.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a great reference page on Highway work zone safety. The Department of Labor (DOL) through the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) regularly publishes worker fatality and occupational injuries information. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has traffic safety laws and regulations. The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) encyclopedia has national statistics, reports, publications, documents and manuals.
HiVisSupply wishes all workers and drivers a safe and happy holiday season.