Crashes involving MoDOT vehicles cause concern for workers

At the end of 2020, there were 48 crashes involving these stationary warning TMAs. However, in 2021 that record high already has been broken. There have been 52 crashes involving TMAs this year.

Traffic Liaison Engineer Ashley Buechter said there are similar circumstances seen in these types of crashes.

“We are just more looking at the details for every single TMA hit that we’re encountering across the entire state and trying to identify trends and strategies and things that we can change to prevent those hits from happening,” Buechter said. “Last year, that had been our all-time high with hits. We were seeing a lot of aggressive driving, speeding, drivers leaving the scene, so like a hit-and-run, and those trends have continued into 2021.”

The TMAs are signs used as warnings for drivers to know there is construction present or ahead. They also work as a buffer to prevent workers from being hit. However, drivers are creeping closer and closer to workers, causing concern.

“We have seen some circumstances where it’s like the second or the third TMA that’s getting hit, so that’s telling us drivers are weaving in and out of our mobile operation and our TMAs that are out there,” she said.

Buechter said drivers need to pay attention to warnings any time they are in construction zones.

“Be on the lookout for that sort of information, obviously, to protect yourself and others. Buckle up, phone down,” she said. “And then just don’t drive distracted, don’t speed.”

This summer, a longtime MoDOT supervisor Lloyd Crawford was struck by a car and died while on the job in Platte County. This was the first job-related MoDOT employee since 2016. Crawford was putting out cones to warn drivers of flooding.