Delawareans know that roadway construction is a reoccurring theme every summer. With Route One being the only way to escape to the beaches for the summer holidays, there is constant traffic. Roadway construction only increases the time it takes to travel to the Delaware beaches.
The average driver must consider the safety of construction workers as they drive through construction zones. Instead most drivers focus on how to get through the traffic the fastest, how to follow new traffic patterns, how to aggressively change lanes within the construction zone. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released reports from 2003-2015 that 1,571 workers were killed at road construction sites by drivers speeding, distracted, or not following the new traffic pattern.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2016 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries reported that construction worker fatalities increased 6% between 2015 and 2016 (there is currently no report from 2017 to 2018). Struck-by incidents are one of the fatal four, a topic we have covered in the past. Struck-by incidents are responsible for 64% of construction workers deaths in 2016. From 2011-2015, more than 800 United States construction workers died from struck-by incidents, the highest number of fatalities within a 4-year span.
Though roadway construction slows traffic and can be frustrating when traveling, maintain the required speed and be a tentative driver. Construction workers are doing their job and want to safely get home to their families. If you are a construction worker who has been struck by a vehicle while working on a roadway, contact the law offices of Kimmel Carter to understand your rights.
