Work Zone Safety Is In Your Hands
Printable version [PDF 707KB]
You may need the Adobe® Reader® to view the PDFs on this page.
Contact Information: Work Zone Feedback at WorkZoneFeedback@dot.gov
What is the Federal Highway Administration Doing to Alleviate Work Zone Management Challenges for State and Local Departments of Transportations?
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is actively pursuing improved work zone management through a multi-faceted approach of better engineering, education, enforcement, and regulatory activities and with increased coordination with public safety agencies (police, fire, and EMS). FHWA believes that partnerships create synergy and are critical to bettering work zone safety, mobility, and constructibility.
FHWA develops and provides a broad array of guidelines and training, conducts research, implements regulatory changes, and works continuously to increase public awareness through partnering activities.
Education: FHWA is dedicated to increasing public awareness and delivering work zone safety- and mobility-related technical resources, such as web sites, training courses, workshops, guidebooks, brochures, bilingual safety public outreach materials, and events such as National Work Zone Awareness Week. FHWA's Work Zone Management Web site can be accessed at https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/ and training information is available at https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/outreach.htm.
The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse (https://www.workzonesafety.org/) is a comprehensive work zone information resource that offers tools and resources to work zone practitioners as well as to the public and the highway community.
The FHWA Work Zone Safety Grants Program (https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/wz_grants.htm) is another resource for the development of work zone related guidance and training. Since its inception in 2006, more than 3,700 courses have been conducted for over 98,000 craft workers and practitioners from and State and local department of transportation agencies. More information on this program and its products can be found at https://www.workzonesafety.org/fhwa_wz_grant
The FHWA Work Zone Peer-to-Peer Program can assist agencies interested in finding better and innovative methods, tools, and strategies to enhance work zone management. For further information, contact 1-866-P2P-FHWA (1-866-727-3492) or WorkzoneP2P@dot.gov.
To help younger drivers navigate work zones, FHWA and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) worked together to develop a campaign about work zones that is oriented specifically to new drivers. This campaign, called "Turning Point", was formulated to make new drivers aware of work zone hazards and provide them with guidance on safely negotiating work zone situations. More information about this campaign is available at https://www.workzonesafety.org/dataresources/public-awareness/turning-point/
The Everyone Is A Pedestrian brochure (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/pedbike/issues/workzone.htm) is a great tool to remind pedestrians to be attentive and careful while navigating through a work zone.
Engineering: FHWA supports research into a variety of design features that create better work zones. Two areas that FHWA focuses on are standardization and evaluation. For example, standardization of work zone areas is set by FHWA in both traffic control and in work zone safety devices. National standards for controlling traffic through work zones are contained in the Manual on Uniform Traffic control Devices (MUTCD) (the most current edition of the official FHWA publication is available at https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/). The latest information regarding approved work zone safety devices are located at https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/countermeasures/reduce_crash_severity/listing.cfm?code=workzone.
The Guidance for Conducting Effective Work Zone Process (https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop15013/) and the Work Zone Process Review Toolbox (https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/prtoolbox/pr_toolbox.htm) provide tools and resources to help transportation agencies conduct an effective Work Zone Process Review and evaluate current work zone management policies and procedures.
Research: FHWA conducts a broad range of research to identify and develop improved work zone management practices. The Best Practices Guidebook (Third Edition) (https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/practices/best/bestpractices.htm) provides a compilation of work zone operations practices used and recommended by various State and Local transportation agencies around the country for effectively managing work zones and reducing the impacts of work zones on mobility and safety.
The Transportation Management Plan Effectiveness Framework and Pilot (https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16062/index.htm) report can help practitioners to formulate and follow clear and consistent approach towards assessing the effectiveness of Transportation Management Plan strategies.
FHWA has also advanced resources to help practitioners incorporate work zone safety and mobility in design-build projects (http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/designbuild.htm).
Work Zones can create special challenges for drivers of large vehicles, such as commercial motor vehicles. FHWA has delivered webinars and published materials to enhance large truck safety in work zones (available at https://www.workzonesafety.org/work_zone_topics/heavy-vehicles/ )
The FHWA Work Zone Management Capability Maturity Framework (WZ CMF) tool is intended for agencies to assess current work zone management capabilities. The WZ CMF tool can be obtained at http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/tsmoframeworktool/available_frameworks/work_zone.htm
Over 30 State DOTs have implemented Every Day Counts (EDC-3) Smarter Work Zones: Project Coordination and Technology Applications strategies to minimize work zone safety and mobility impacts. The EDC-3 Smarter Work Zones Toolkit may be accessed at: https://www.workzonesafety.org/swz/
Regulation: FHWA has issued regulations to improve work zone planning, design, and implementation for safer and more efficient work zones for both workers and road users. These regulations are located at https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/policy.htm.
