Deaths of employees being hit by passing automobiles and automobiles involved in accidents make up between 40% and 50% of construction employee deaths, varying a bit from year to year. Other perils like drop-offs, heavy gear rollovers, power lines and accidents with power apparatus have a tendency to make up the rest, together with employees being struck by construction vehicles, each in a smaller amount.
When traffic causes about 50% of all highway construction worker deaths, obviously robust traffic slowing measures must be taken. Barriers and devices like speed display signs are steps in the right direction.
When driver feedback signs are used as traffic safety devices in work sectors, the rate of traffic has been shown to drop up to several miles hour. This is significant, because a reduction can slow some vehicles to a speed that is so far less likely to cause serious injury or death. A vehicle traveling 40 mph is much more likley to kill someone than one going 30 mph. Every mile an hour slower a vehicle travels means more likelihood that a person struck by that automobile will survive.
When road construction workers have to stand near automobiles or in their pathway such as those who hold signs and flags, slower traffic means they’ll have more time to move out of the way if a car gets closer or an accident happens. When you use signs from TraffiCalm Systems, you can be assured that they are highly visible and trustworthy. And because they follow government traffic sign specs so that they’re the proper size and color that drivers recognise, drivers do heed the signs and slow their automobiles down.
Barriers are widespread in work sectors, but regularly they are the barrel-sized orange and yellow reflective barriers. These are highly identifiable, but they are also flexible. They are handy for drivers because they obviously mark the edges of roads and construction zones. If there’s a crash with one of these barriers, their flexible construction makes it unlikely there will be auto damage. Unfortunately, they won’t protect workers, so slower moving traffic is still highly important. Display signs can help keep traffic moving slowly to prevent more accidents.
Clearly-visible heavy barriers in addition to speed display signs for traffic slowing can help slow work zone traffic and save lives. Check out trafficalmsystems.com to discover how.