For traffic control workers around the world, life can change in an instant. Working on the road can be a very dangerous job, and for roadside workers the risk of injury or death is significantly higher. According to the Federal Highway Administration, "from 1982 through 2017, 27,037 individuals lost their lives in work zone crashes." That averages to 773 lives lost per year over a 35-year period.
For roadside workers, these risks are a reality that they face every day on the job. A traffic control supervisor is responsible not only for their own safety, but also for the safety of the work crews they lead. They shoulder these responsibilities working in and amongst traffic for many years, promising to do their utmost to keep their crews safe and send them home safely to their families at the end of the day.
Recently, a near tragedy occurred when a seasoned supervisor and his crew were working a night shift on a highway median. They were blocking the left three lanes of the highway, and the supervisor's job was to trail behind with safety equipment to redirect traffic into the remaining lanes. The supervisor and the crew stopped at a particular part of the highway, where they anticipated only a fifteen-minute stop to complete the work before they’d be on their way again.
It was around 11:30 PM when the impact occurred. The supervisor had just gotten back into his truck and was starting to eat dinner. Everything happened so quickly that he didn't even have a chance to put on his seatbelt. When the intoxicated driver of a pick-up truck hit the rear of the crash truck, he was tossed around the cabin like a ragdoll as it rolled ahead forty feet, with no extra protection from airbags that never deployed.
After the impact and the vehicle came to a halt, the supervisor slowly regained his bearings. He saw surrounding traffic slowing down and the vehicle that struck the Scorpion® Towable Attenuator pulling over. It took him a moment to process what had just happened, but training and instinct kicked in quickly. As soon as he realized it was an accident, his first priority was to check on the safety of his crew.
Emerging from the truck, the supervisor surveyed the scene. A red pickup truck sat on the other side of the highway; its front end mangled. The Scorpion® Towable Attenuator bore the brunt of the impact, absorbing the force of the collision with the speeding pickup, which showed no signs of braking beforehand. Thankfully, the Scorpion's protection kept everyone involved safe. Without it, the impact could have been fatal for both the driver of the pickup and the supervisor, who himself said "[the Scorpion] saved my life... if I didn't have it on there it would have been a whole different story. A fatality, for sure, if not for me, for the [impacting driver]."
After the accident, the supervisor reflected on the experience with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. He emphasized how fortunate he and his crew were to be alive. Despite the close call, he is eager to get back on the job, after recovering from the injuries he sustained in the crash. He reflects this determination by saying, "You can't let fear rule your life," and adds with a resolute spirit, "This is just a small bump in the road. Put a temporary bump sign up, 'cause I'm going to be back up and going soon."
The TrafFix team is incredibly grateful that the Scorpion® Towable Attenuator protected the supervisor and his work crew that night, allowing them all to return home to their families. This near tragedy underscores the crucial role of safety equipment in protecting the lives of roadside workers. The Scorpion's ability to absorb impact and shield workers from oncoming danger is a powerful testament to the importance of investing in innovative safety solutions. By prioritizing such advancements, we can create safer work zones for everyone involved.
