Summer may be coming to an end, but the road work continues. Drivers should expect to see active stationary and moving work zones throughout the fall and avoid distractions, so they aren’t caught off guard.
Missouri has already seen a record number of work zone buffer truck crashes in 2021. Truck/trailer mounted attenuators (TMAs) are protective vehicles with a message board and lights and serve as a warning to traffic approaching a moving work zone. MoDOT’s TMAs have been struck 52 times this year while protecting work crews, 10 more than this time last year.
These crashes are almost always the result of a driver not paying attention and/or driving too fast. Drivers should keep an eye out for moving work zones — they’re likely traveling much slower than the speed limit. Stay alert, slow down and move over.
MoDOT is also reminding drivers, “If you see one, you’ll see more.” Of the 51 TMA crashes through August, seven vehicles struck the TMA closest to the work crew, and one vehicle struck the work truck past the TMAs. Drivers should stay alert for multiple TMAs and work trucks in one moving operation, and avoid weaving in between them.
