As Missouri prepares for a busy construction season, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is urging drivers to focus on safety during National Work Zone Awareness Week, which runs Monday through Friday next week. This reminder follows last year’s work zone crashes, which resulted in 23 fatalities, with distracted driving contributing to several of these incidents.
According to the Missouri Department of Transportation release, Jon Nelson, MoDOT’s State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer, emphasized that drivers will encounter between 800 and 1,000 work zones daily. He highlighted the importance of reducing speed and staying aware to protect workers in these zones. In 2024, distracted driving caused four fatalities and over 350 work zone crashes, underlining the challenge of staying focused while driving.
Missouri's Move Over law requires drivers to either change lanes or slow down when passing emergency or MoDOT vehicles with active lights. This law aims to improve safety by encouraging drivers to adjust to changing traffic conditions and prepare for lane closures.
Missouri's Siddens Bening Hands-Free law has led to a nearly 50% decrease in work zone vehicle strikes since its implementation. While this is a positive development, Nelson noted that high speeds and distractions remain significant risks, which can be reduced through careful driving and attention to safety.
