The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) has launched a new national advertising and outreach campaign after carrying out a survey which found 44% of highway contractors reported having motor vehicles crash into their construction zones during the past year.

The campaign urges summer travel motorists to stay alert and slow down while driving through highway work zones.

“There is no meeting, email or text that is more important than the safety of workers or motorists,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, AGC chief executive officer. “It is absolutely essential for every driver to slow down, pay attention and put the phone down while driving through highway work zones.”

Sandherr said that 49% of contractors who reported work zone crashes on their projects said that motor vehicle operators or passengers were injured, and 13% of those crashes involved a driver or passenger fatality.

Highway work zone crashes also pose a significant risk for construction workers, Sandherr noted. He said 25% of work zone crashes injure construction workers and 11% of those crashes kill them.

Work zone crashes also have a pronounced impact on construction schedules and costs, Sandherr said. He revealed that 27% of contractors reported that work zone crashes during the past year had forced them to temporarily shut down construction activity. More than half (52%) of those project shutdowns lasted two or more days.

The AGC’s new national advertising campaign is designed to help improve the safety of the nation’s highway work zones.

The campaign will feature new radio ads that will air in cities across the country. The ads warn drivers that speeding, texting and losing focus while in work zones aren’t worth the “nightmare” of killing workers, drivers or passengers.

The work zone safety study was based on a nationwide survey of highway construction firms the AGC conducted in March and April of this year. Over 700 contractors completed the survey nationwide.

Click here to view the AGC 2017 Work Zone Safety Study infographic (external link: PDF)

Click here to listen to the AGC Work Zone Safety radio ad (external link: Soundcloud)