Smart Work Zones & the Data Driving Safer Roads

TSS Customer ServiceAugust 10, 2025August 15, 2025Work-ZoneSmart Work Zones

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Smart Work Zones & The Data Driving Safer Roads

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Always consult the latest MUTCD and local regulations before designing or operating a work zone.

On this page

Why Work-Zone Data Matters
What Makes a Work Zone “Smart”
How Data Improves Safety Decisions
Case Study: Queue Warning Results
Practical Procurement & Setup Tips
Sources & Further Reading

Why Work-Zone Data Matters

Fatalities (2023): 898–899 people killed in U.S. work-zone crashes.

Injuries (2023): ~40,000 people injured in work-zone crashes.

Top factors (2022): Speed (34%), rear-end collisions (21%), CMVs involved (30%).

Hard numbers help target countermeasures where they’ll save the most lives. National sources like the FHWA, NHTSA, and NSC show work-zone risk remains elevated—especially for motorists approaching lane drops and slow-moving queues. Linking technology with these insights lets agencies and contractors move from reactive to proactive safety. Authoritative references: FHWA newsroom, NSC Injury Facts, NHTSA estimates, FHWA facts & stats.

What Makes a Work Zone “Smart”

“Smart work zones” (SWZs) use field sensors, connected devices, and communications to warn drivers before they encounter hazards—and to feed useful data back to the project team.

Radar Speed Display Signs to alert speeding drivers and log speed trends.
Queue Warning Systems (QWS) using portable radar and connected message boards to slow approach speeds.
Connected Arrow/Message Boards for real-time updates from a central dashboard.
Automated Flagger Assistance Devices (AFADs) to keep human flaggers out of the travel lane.
Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) messages that push lane-closure and speed alerts to connected vehicles.

See primers and deployment playbooks from WorkZoneSafety.org and the FHWA’s Every Day Counts program.

How Data Improves Safety Decisions

Telemetry from SWZ devices is valuable beyond day-of operations:

Pinpoint hotspots (speed spikes, harsh braking) to refine taper length, barrier type, or sign spacing.
Time closures for lower-volume windows using historic approach speeds and queue lengths.
Demonstrate compliance with digital logs aligned to MUTCD requirements and agency specs.

As connected and automated vehicles proliferate, FHWA research is exploring work-zone infrastructure that smoothly transitions drivers between automated and manual control—another reason to instrument work zones now. See FHWA report FHWA-HRT-24-117.

Case Study: Queue Warning Results on a Busy Interstate

Texas deployments of end-of-queue warning systems (portable radar + connected CMS) have shown meaningful safety benefits—reducing crash potential by up to 45% and cutting approach speeds on major interstate projects. If your work includes recurring queues at lane drops or high-speed approaches, a portable QWS is one of the highest-ROI tools you can deploy. Learn more: ITS JPO Knowledge Resource and WorkZoneSafety.org fact sheet.

What about AFADs?

AFADs move the person off the pavement and have been shown to lower approach speeds and increase the distance drivers stop behind the device compared with traditional flagging. See FHWA guidance on AFADs here and research summaries from TTI here.

Practical Procurement & Setup Tips

Start with the hazard: If rear-end risk dominates, prioritize queue warnings and clear advance signing.
Pair tech with basics: Devices complement—not replace—MUTCD-compliant traffic cones, traffic drums, roll-up construction signs, crew high-visibility safety vests, and water-filled barriers.
Train for data: Assign someone to check logs weekly and feed lessons into the next MOT plan.
Plan power & comms: Verify solar capacity, battery runtime, and cellular coverage along the project.
Document everything: Screenshots and data summaries help with closeout, audits, and next-project funding.