FACTS

1. All workers inside the work zone who could be exposed to vehicle or equipment traffic should wear high-visibility (lime green or orange) clothing or work vests so they are easily visible to the driver. The important thing is that the worker’s clothing prevents him or her from blending in with the surroundings.
2. Two-thirds of the worker fatalities resulting from being struck or run over by vehicles occur inside the work zone. Although the need for an organized system of traffic control within the worksite does not only apply to dump truck operations, it is very important that truck flow in, around and out of the site is controlled.
3. While there are fewer fatalities in the workplace today, the leading cause of worker fatalities year-after-year are motor vehicle crashes, and distracted driving dramatically increases the risk of such crashes.

STATS

When 18-wheelers and other commercial transfer trucks get into accidents, because of their size and weight, such a crash can cause catastrophic personal injury and death. The most recent Alabama Traffic Crash Facts from the University of Alabama in 2014.

• 411,000 large truck crashes
• 3,424 were fatal large truck crashes
• 82,000 large truck crashes that caused injury
• 326,000 large truck crashes that resulted in property damage only

Crashes 2014 in Alabama involving commercial trucks occurred on all types of roads, including:

• Interstates – 2,100 accidents and 25 fatalities
• S. Routes – 1,342 accidents and 27 fatalities
• State Routes – 1,382 accidents and 26 fatalities
• County Roads – 767 accidents and 6 fatalities
• City Roads – 2,004 accidents and 4 fatalities
• Other – 187 accidents and 1 fatality