Safety First
Spring in Texas means more sunshine, more travel and more movement on our roads – but it also means sharing those roads with crews working on construction projects. As traffic increases and work zones stay active, numbers from the Texas Department of Transportation remind us why safe driving is essential:
- Nearly 28,000 work zone crashes occurred in Texas in 2024
- Those crashes led to 215 deaths and 825 serious injuries
- Drivers and their passengers accounted for 81% of all fatalities
- Speeding, driver inattention and unsafe lane changes are most often the top contributing crash factors in work zones
All work zone crashes are preventable. Texas drivers have a crucial role to play in protecting themselves, road workers and fellow motorists.
Free Resources
TxDOT’s Be Safe. Drive Smart. campaign provides ready‑made tools you can use in your organization or community outreach, including:
- Work zone safety tips for employees
- Printable posters
- Shareable video PSAs
These free materials make it easy to reinforce safe driving habits, particularly important in Texas because work to build and maintain roads across the state occurs nearly every day and crews often are separated from high-speed traffic by only a few feet.
Major Focus
Work zones can change quickly. When drivers are distracted – even momentarily – they may not react in time to sudden shifts in traffic patterns or other common hazards. In safety discussions with your drivers, emphasize how the following conditions contribute to crashes:
- Rapidly changing conditions: lane shifts, temporary speed reductions and new traffic patterns
- Unexpected stops: braking or merging with little warning
- Rear-end collisions: the most common work zone crash, especially at lane closures
Real Impact
One moment of inattention can put workers, motorists and pedestrians at risk. Share these tips to keep everyone safe:
- Avoid all distractions: Put down the phone, set your GPS before you depart and avoid eating and personal grooming behind the wheel
- Slow down when driving in and around work zones
- Watch for workers and equipment operating close to traffic
- Keep extra distance between vehicles
- Visit DriveTexas to check road conditions, allow more time when traveling through work zones, follow posted signs and detours
National Effort
As we prepare for National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 20-24), safety leaders can amplify their impact by tapping into these free resources:
- National Safety Council: Help us create safer roads during Distracted Driving Awareness Month
- National Work Zone Awareness: Safe Actions Save Lives posters, social media graphics and engagement ideas
- Dress for safety: Learn how to participate in Go Orange Day
Work zone safety requires everyone’s attention. With focused driving and consistent outreach, we can reduce crashes and help ensure everyone gets home safely.
It’s a Date – for Safety!
April 20, commonly known by many as 420, is widely associated with increased marijuana use. For safety leaders, this presents a timely opportunity to remind employees and community members about the very real dangers of driving while impaired.
Why Marijuana and Driving Don’t Mix
Marijuana affects the body in ways that directly undermine safe driving. Research shows cannabis use can:
- Slow reaction time
- Impair judgment of time and distance
- Reduce coordination and control over the central nervous system
- Affect hand‑eye coordination
- Hinder a driver’s ability to maintain lane position
These impairments make responding to changing traffic conditions difficult, a critical requirement for safe driving.
According to a U.S. Department of Transportation trauma‑center study, 56% of drivers involved in serious injury or fatal crashes tested positive for at least one drug. Driving while impaired by any substance – alcohol, marijuana, opioids, methamphetamines or even certain prescription and over‑the‑counter medications – is illegal in all 50 states and puts everyone on the road at risk.
Empowering You
Take advantage of free Workplace Impairment Training – available in person or online. This training helps supervisors and employees understand:
- How impairment affects workplace and roadway safety
- Factors and situations that cause impairment
- Common signs and symptoms to watch for
- Appropriate steps to take when impairment is observed
- How impairment impacts productivity and a company’s bottom line
- Resources to help address impairment in your workplace
Participants engage with realistic scenarios to recognize all types of impairment, including fatigue, mental distress, over‑the‑counter medication misuse and alcohol or other drugs.
Use tools in our new learning management system to train your entire team. Assign free driver safety courses, track team‑wide progress and build a culture of safety.
One featured course highlights how prescription drugs, cannabis, over-the-counter medications, stress and fatigue can all impair reaction time, focus and judgment.
Get free resources from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to share timely safety messages on your social media channels and create engagement in the community where your team works and lives.
Your Objective
Help employees make safer choices, protect one another and prevent impaired-driving crashes.
