A device that provides automated warnings via CB radio about upcoming work zones was one that showed promise during recent tests by the University of Missouri-Columbia.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 900 workers died in U.S. road construction work zones in 2000. A recently published study of new work-zone safety devices tested at the university garnered mixed results, indicating that a combination of new technologies might be necessary when attempting to make work zones safer.
Researchers tested three devices at a construction site on Interstate 70 in Missouri during varied environmental conditions. The devices included temporary white lane-drop arrows; a CB wizard alert system, which provides an automated warning to drivers who use CB radios; and temporary orange rumble strips.
The study, published recently in the Transportation Research Record, found that the devices did promote some increases in early merging and some decreases in speed; however, none of the devices were exceptional. Researchers added that off-the-road technologies such as the CB wizard alert system did offer an extra advantage over devices that are placed directly on the road’s surface because they lower the risk of injury to workers during installation and removal.