Large Trucks Disproportionately Involved in Fatal Work Zone Crashes
Work zones aren’t immune from dangerous driving practices, like speeding, distracted driving and hit-and-runs.
According to the latest LendingTree analysis, deadly work zone crashes rose 57.1% between 2012 and 2021 (the latest available data), with a disproportionate percentage involving large trucks.
To find where work zone dangers lurk, LendingTree analysts examined 10 years of data. Here’s what we found.
Key findings
- Fatal work zone crashes rose 57.1% between 2012 and 2021. 872 deadly work zone crashes occurred in 2021 — the highest across the 10 years analyzed. The West saw the highest increase in this period at 76.9%, with the South close behind at 72.1%. Meanwhile, the Northeast saw a 27.5% decrease between 2012 and 2021.
- In the 10 years analyzed, Texas had the highest percentage of deadly crashes that occurred in work zones. From 2012 to 2021, 4.3% of the 33,436 fatal crashes in the state happened in work zones, ahead of Nebraska (3.6%) and Utah (3.3%). The state with the lowest rate of fatal crashes in work zones was New York, at 0.7%. Another three states tied at 0.8%.
- Large trucks were involved in nearly 3 in 10 fatal work zone crashes between 2012 and 2021. They were involved in 29.3% of deadly work zone crashes over the 10 years analyzed. That’s significant since large trucks were involved in just 12.3% of all deadly crashes in that period — a difference of 17.0 percentage points, or more than double. In each of the 10 years evaluated, the lowest percentage point difference was 12.6, in 2012.
- A higher rate of deadly work zone crashes involved hit-and-runs. 6.7% of fatal work zone crashes involved hit-and-runs in 2020 and 2021 — a significant increase from 3.8% in 2012. Over the 10 years analyzed, 5.3% of these crashes involved hit-and-runs.
- Fatal work zone crashes were more common in the summer. Across the 10 years analyzed, the four months that are part of summer accounted for the highest percentage of deadly work zone crashes. 10.8% of related fatalities between 2012 and 2021 occurred in July, followed by August (10.5%), September (10.3%) and June (10.2%). These were also the four months with the largest percentage point differences between deadly crashes and those in work zones.
Fatal work zone crashes rose 57.1% between 2012 and 2021
Work zones in which crews perform construction, maintenance or utility tasks can be dangerous if drivers aren’t careful. In fact, fatal work zone crashes rose a whopping 57.1% over the 10 years analyzed, jumping from 555 in 2012 to 872 in 2021. (2021’s number was a 10-year high.)
This aligns with a rise in recent years in distracted driving-related and speeding-related fatalities, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data.
The largest year-over-year increase in deadly work zone crashes in this period was in 2019, when they jumped 13.8%. Conversely, fatal work zone crashes decreased year over year only twice in the period examined: 2013 and 2018. Those years corresponded with a relatively low number of speeding-related fatalities.
Percentage change in fatal work zone crashes by year, 2012-21
| Year | Fatal work zone crashes | % change YoY | % change from 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 555 | N/A | N/A |
| 2013 | 536 | -3.4% | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 607 | 13.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015 | 657 | 8.2% | 18.4% |
| 2016 | 687 | 4.6% | 23.8% |
| 2017 | 720 | 4.8% | 29.7% |
| 2018 | 672 | -6.7% | 21.1% |
| 2019 | 765 | 13.8% | 37.8% |
| 2020 | 780 | 2.0% | 40.5% |
| 2021 | 872 | 11.8% | 57.1% |
Source: LendingTree analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data using the Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST).
Regionally, the greatest increase in deadly work zone crashes over these 10 years was in the West (76.9%), though the South wasn’t far behind (72.1%).
These two regions also had the largest population increases (by percentage) between the 2010 and 2020 Census — though the South had a larger increase than the West. It’s possible that population growth in these areas could help explain the increase in deadly work zone crashes.
Interestingly, 11 of the 13 Western states had a percentage of speeding-related traffic fatalities equal to or higher than the U.S. average in 2021, according to NHTSA. We’ll get into speeding later, but this could contribute to the deadly trend.
Percentage change in fatal work zone crashes by region, 2012-21
| Rank | Region | Fatal work zone crashes, 2012 | Fatal work zone crashes, 2021 | % change in fatal work zone crashes, 2012-21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West | 117 | 207 | 76.9% |
| 2 | South | 283 | 487 | 72.1% |
| 3 | Midwest | 104 | 141 | 35.6% |
| 4 | Northeast | 51 | 37 | -27.5% |
Source: LendingTree analysis of NHTSA FARS data using FIRST.
Texas has the highest percentage of deadly crashes that occur in work zones
Over the decade analyzed, Texas had the highest percentage of deadly crashes that occurred in work zones. In fact, 4.3% of the 33,436 fatal crashes in the state happened in work zones.
It’s not for a lack of trying by state officials. The state has a distracted driving law that prohibits texting while operating a vehicle. Meanwhile, its Move Over/Slow Down law applies to work zones. For example, if a state crew is completing utility work or performing pothole repairs, drivers are required to either slow to 20 mph below the posted speed limit or move to the next lane to give space. However, the 20 mph rule may be inadequate on highways, where speeds may only be reduced to 60 or 65 mph, depending on the original limit. That could lead to fatal work zone crashes, particularly if drivers aren’t strictly adhering to rules.
Texas was followed by Nebraska (3.6%) and Utah (3.3%). Similar to Texas, Nebraska is another state taking action despite a high percentage of fatal crashes occurring in work zones. In the state, freeways with active work in a lane should have a maximum speed of 40 mph (assuming a regular speed limit of 50 mph) — or 45 mph if the work is being done on the freeway’s shoulder. The state sees a high proportion of rear-end collisions in its work zone crashes, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.
Similarly, Utah’s law applies to highway maintenance vehicles displaying flashing amber lights. Most work zone fatalities in the state, according to the Utah Department of Transportation, are drivers and passengers.
Percentage of fatal work zone crashes by state, 2012-21
| Rank | State | Fatal crashes, 2012-21 | Fatal work zone crashes, 2012-21 | % of fatal work zone crashes, 2012-21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | U.S. | 335,959 | 6,851 | 2.0% |
| 1 | Texas | 33,436 | 1,424 | 4.3% |
| 2 | Nebraska | 2,027 | 73 | 3.6% |
| 3 | Utah | 2,399 | 79 | 3.3% |
| 4 | Wyoming | 1,088 | 34 | 3.1% |
| 5 | Nevada | 2,897 | 88 | 3.0% |
| 6 | Alaska | 627 | 17 | 2.7% |
| 6 | Georgia | 13,457 | 358 | 2.7% |
| 8 | Arkansas | 5,059 | 134 | 2.6% |
| 8 | Illinois | 9,723 | 257 | 2.6% |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 6,152 | 161 | 2.6% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 3,605 | 89 | 2.5% |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 5,328 | 128 | 2.4% |
| 12 | Indiana | 7,706 | 184 | 2.4% |
| 14 | Florida | 27,788 | 632 | 2.3% |
| 15 | Hawaii | 978 | 22 | 2.2% |
| 15 | Iowa | 3,089 | 68 | 2.2% |
| 17 | California | 33,252 | 685 | 2.1% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 1,087 | 22 | 2.0% |
| 19 | Alabama | 8,419 | 158 | 1.9% |
| 19 | Ohio | 10,463 | 195 | 1.9% |
| 21 | Delaware | 1,128 | 20 | 1.8% |
| 22 | South Dakota | 1,155 | 20 | 1.7% |
| 22 | Colorado | 5,327 | 90 | 1.7% |
| 22 | Tennessee | 9,887 | 164 | 1.7% |
| 25 | Arizona | 8,667 | 143 | 1.6% |
| 25 | Virginia | 7,527 | 123 | 1.6% |
| 25 | New Mexico | 3,436 | 56 | 1.6% |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | 11,016 | 177 | 1.6% |
| 25 | Maryland | 4,839 | 76 | 1.6% |
| 25 | Vermont | 576 | 9 | 1.6% |
| 25 | Rhode Island | 577 | 9 | 1.6% |
| 32 | District of Columbia | 259 | 4 | 1.5% |
| 32 | Michigan | 9,293 | 143 | 1.5% |
| 32 | Kansas | 3,637 | 55 | 1.5% |
| 35 | Massachusetts | 3,436 | 49 | 1.4% |
| 35 | Missouri | 8,193 | 116 | 1.4% |
| 35 | Connecticut | 2,634 | 37 | 1.4% |
| 35 | West Virginia | 2,659 | 37 | 1.4% |
| 35 | Idaho | 2,046 | 28 | 1.4% |
| 40 | Louisiana | 7,125 | 96 | 1.3% |
| 40 | Montana | 1,860 | 25 | 1.3% |
| 42 | New Jersey | 5,532 | 66 | 1.2% |
| 43 | Oregon | 4,095 | 46 | 1.1% |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 1,073 | 12 | 1.1% |
| 45 | Kentucky | 6,848 | 69 | 1.0% |
| 45 | Maine | 1,415 | 14 | 1.0% |
| 45 | North Carolina | 13,163 | 129 | 1.0% |
| 48 | South Carolina | 9,030 | 76 | 0.8% |
| 48 | Washington | 4,915 | 40 | 0.8% |
| 48 | Mississippi | 6,004 | 48 | 0.8% |
| 51 | New York | 10,027 | 66 | 0.7% |
Source: LendingTree analysis of NHTSA FARS data using FIRST.
Conversely, New York had the lowest rate of fatal crashes in work zones (0.7%), followed by Mississippi, Washington and South Carolina, tied at 0.8%. New York issues speeding violations via its Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program, which can deter drivers from unsafe practices. The state notes criminal penalties are possible for violators, too.
Large trucks disproportionately involved in fatal work zone crashes
Large trucks — which have a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating over 10,000 pounds and include single-unit trucks and truck tractors — accounted for nearly 3 in 10 (29.3%) fatal work zone crashes over the 10 years analyzed.
That’s despite large trucks being involved in just 12.3% of total fatal crashes, regardless of setting, during the same period. That’s a difference of 17.0 percentage points, or more than double the proportion it should represent.
Why the disconnect? “Work zones tend to reduce the width of roadway available to accommodate vehicles, and this impacts the largest vehicles the most,” says Rob Bhatt, LendingTree auto insurance expert and a licensed insurance agent. “It’s tough to maneuver a truck through a tight area where people are working. Work zones often also require vehicles to merge into fewer lanes, which can be difficult for trucks. If passenger cars are speeding in and near work zones, a truck may need to accelerate to an unsafe speed to maneuver through this environment. This, in turn, can put highway workers and others at risk.”
Fatal crashes involving large trucks by year, overall vs. work zones
| Year | % of fatal crashes involving large trucks | % of fatal work zone crashes involving large trucks | Percentage point difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 12.3% | 29.3% | 17.0 |
| 2012 | 11.2% | 23.8% | 12.6 |
| 2013 | 11.8% | 28.2% | 16.4 |
| 2014 | 11.4% | 30.1% | 18.7 |
| 2015 | 11.1% | 26.8% | 15.7 |
| 2016 | 12.0% | 28.2% | 16.2 |
| 2017 | 12.6% | 30.7% | 18.1 |
| 2018 | 13.2% | 30.8% | 17.6 |
| 2019 | 13.4% | 32.5% | 19.1 |
| 2020 | 12.3% | 26.3% | 14.0 |
| 2021 | 13.0% | 33.0% | 20.0 |
Source: LendingTree analysis of NHTSA FARS data using FIRST.
This trend seems to be a long-term issue. In each of the 10 years evaluated, the lowest percentage point difference was 12.6 in 2012. In fact, the percentage of fatal work zone crashes involving large trucks is on the rise. For example, 23.8% of deadly work zone crashes involved large trucks in 2012. But that spiked to 33.0% in 2021 — the highest percentage in those 10 years.
Fatal work zone crashes: Speeding, distracted driving, hit-and-runs
Speeding certainly represents a huge potential issue for work zones due to the presence of workers who may be on the road or the shoulder, leaving them exposed. Not to mention, it leaves other vehicles exposed to wrecks.
In fact, there was a 3.4 percentage point difference in speeding-related fatal work zone crashes during the studied period compared to fatal speeding-involved crashes, regardless of setting.
Fatal crashes involving speeding by year, overall vs. work zones
| Year | % of fatal crashes involving speeding | % of fatal work zone crashes involving speeding | Percentage point difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 27.3% | 30.7% | 3.4 |
| 2012 | 29.9% | 35.1% | 5.2 |
| 2013 | 28.9% | 30.2% | 1.3 |
| 2014 | 27.6% | 28.3% | 0.7 |
| 2015 | 26.8% | 28.5% | 1.7 |
| 2016 | 26.7% | 28.1% | 1.4 |
| 2017 | 25.9% | 29.3% | 3.4 |
| 2018 | 25.4% | 25.4% | 0.0 |
| 2019 | 25.8% | 31.6% | 5.8 |
| 2020 | 28.6% | 37.9% | 9.3 |
| 2021 | 28.0% | 31.8% | 3.8 |
Source: LendingTree analysis of NHTSA FARS data using FIRST.
Distracted driving, such as texting while driving, can also be a significant cause of fatal crashes. The difference between all fatal crashes involving distracted driving and those in work zones is even more pronounced, with a 4.8 percentage point difference over the studied decade.
Fatal crashes involving distracted driving by year, overall vs. work zones
| Year | % of fatal crashes involving distracted driving | % of fatal work zone crashes involving distracted driving | Percentage point difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 8.9% | 13.7% | 4.8 |
| 2012 | 10.0% | 14.4% | 4.4 |
| 2013 | 9.7% | 17.5% | 7.8 |
| 2014 | 9.9% | 16.1% | 6.2 |
| 2015 | 10.0% | 14.8% | 4.8 |
| 2016 | 9.2% | 13.2% | 4.0 |
| 2017 | 8.7% | 14.0% | 5.3 |
| 2018 | 7.8% | 11.2% | 3.4 |
| 2019 | 8.6% | 13.3% | 4.7 |
| 2020 | 8.0% | 13.2% | 5.2 |
| 2021 | 8.1% | 11.2% | 3.1 |
Source: LendingTree analysis of NHTSA FARS data using FIRST.
Another massive issue is that 6.7% of fatal work zone crashes in 2020 and 2021 involved hit-and-runs. This represents a significant increase from 3.8% in 2012. And it mirrors an almost 90% rise in fatal hit-and-runs in the past decade, according to a recent ValuePenguin study.
Fatal work zone crashes involving a hit-and-run by year
| Year | Fatal work zone crashes | Fatal work zone crashes involving a hit-and-run | % of fatal work zone crashes involving a hit-and-run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 6,851 | 362 | 5.3% |
| 2012 | 555 | 21 | 3.8% |
| 2013 | 536 | 29 | 5.4% |
| 2014 | 607 | 31 | 5.1% |
| 2015 | 657 | 26 | 4.0% |
| 2016 | 687 | 31 | 4.5% |
| 2017 | 720 | 38 | 5.3% |
| 2018 | 672 | 39 | 5.8% |
| 2019 | 765 | 37 | 4.8% |
| 2020 | 780 | 52 | 6.7% |
| 2021 | 872 | 58 | 6.7% |
Source: LendingTree analysis of NHTSA FARS data using FIRST.
Fatal work zone crashes more common in the summer
We also looked at time of year as a potential factor. Summer proved the most dangerous season for fatal work zone crashes. In fact, 10.8% of deadly work zone crashes during the studied period occurred in July, followed by August (10.5%), September (10.3%) and June (10.2%). These were also the months with the largest percentage point differences between deadly crashes (regardless of setting) and those in work zones.
This makes sense, given summer is generally a more dangerous time to drive, with a higher prevalence of fatal crashes than other times of the year. It’s also a time when more drivers may participate in road trips — including younger drivers, like teens who have the summer off. Plus, highway projects, like road maintenance, may be more likely to happen during the summer due to the favorable temperatures for things like paving asphalt (which requires an outside temperature of at least 50 degrees).
At the same time, the colder months had lower percentages of fatal work zone crashes during this decade. For example, November, December, January, February and March each had a negative percentage point difference in fatal crashes compared to those in work zones during the 10 years analyzed.
Fatal crashes by month from 2012 to 2021, overall vs. work zones
| Month | % of fatal crashes, 2012-21 | % of work zone fatal crashes, 2012-21 | Percentage point difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.3% | 5.5% | -1.8 |
| February | 6.6% | 5.3% | -1.3 |
| March | 7.5% | 6.5% | -1.0 |
| April | 7.6% | 7.9% | 0.3 |
| May | 8.6% | 9.1% | 0.5 |
| June | 8.8% | 10.2% | 1.4 |
| July | 9.1% | 10.8% | 1.7 |
| August | 9.2% | 10.5% | 1.3 |
| September | 9.1% | 10.3% | 1.2 |
| October | 9.3% | 10.0% | 0.7 |
| November | 8.6% | 7.7% | -0.9 |
| December | 8.3% | 6.3% | -2.0 |
Source: LendingTree analysis of NHTSA FARS data using FIRST.
3 work zone safety tips
Work zones can be dangerous, but drivers can take steps to ensure they’re navigating them as safely as possible:
- Minimize distractions: Distracted driving habits, such as texting, aren’t just dangerous — they were responsible for over 3,500 deaths in 2021, per NHTSA — they may also be against the law where you live. “You should never text and drive to begin with,” Bhatt says.
- Slow down: Slowing down or moving over to the next lane to give road workers space is important. (Every state has a variation of a move-over law.) It helps provide those workers with a larger physical buffer and ensures that any accidents that occur do so at a lower speed. “Vehicles of all sizes need to slow down in work zones so the environment is safe for workers and motorists,” Bhatt says.
- Keep your eyes open: Since work zones can be dangerous, it’s important to keep alert and look for instructions from flaggers or potential hazards. If nothing else, this can help you preserve your auto insurance rates. (Post-accident rates are 48% higher on average than rates for drivers with a clean record.) And the best-case scenario is that you could save a life. So it’s vital to stay attentive in work zones.
Methodology
LendingTree researchers analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data using the Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST).
Researchers analyzed fatal crash data from 2012 to 2021 (the latest available) and compared overall deadly crashes to those in work zones.
We analyzed work zone crashes regionally. Those regions were:
- Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
- Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
- South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia
- West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Researchers also analyzed the percentage of fatal crashes in work zones involving different categories, such as speeding, distracted driving and hit-and-runs.