Deaths In Construction Zones Rise

The number of people killed in highway construction zones is at an all-time high.

The most recent federal statistics available, from 1999, show a record 868 people killed that year in work zones, up from the previous record of 833 in 1994. The number of deaths in work-zone crashes grew 25% between 1997 and 1999, as the amount of money spend on highway construction rose18% over the same time period, according to the Associated Press.
A House subcommittee was scheduled to hold hearings Tuesday on the increase in work zone deaths.
Most of the work zone deaths, 84%, are among occupants of vehicles that crashed into other vehicles or ran into construction equipment.
States are addressing the problem through education and public relations efforts, as well as doubling the fines for speeding in construction zones in many states.