Michigan State Police have released highway crash statistics for 2022, which are alarming as there were more than 293,000 accidents, and in those crashes, 1,123 people died, which is down one percent from 2021 when fewer people were on the road, but it’s 15% higher than in 2018.
One of the more eye-popping numbers in the report showed accidents in Michigan’s many construction zones have jumped significantly.
MDOT gave Local 4 Business Insider/Reporter Rod Meloni a vest and a construction helmet because it was a nightmare out there.
There were barricades and barrels, which was very frustrating for drivers.
But imagine if your office was behind a construction zone. You’re working out there knowing there were 20 daily accidents in construction zones across Michigan.
Close-quarters construction sites all across Metro Detroit and even the state have drivers confused and cranky.
“I think it’s a freaking headache, honestly,” said a woman. “It takes over an hour to get almost anywhere in every city, every county; I’m over it!”
“I wish they would concentrate on one area at a time,” said a man.
“Like when the big semis are driving right next to you, and it is really tight quarters,” said another woman.
“When it turns into that two-lane highway, people just run in, and they have no care whatsoever,” said another man. “It’s it’s unfortunate.”
Still, as much as we drivers dislike those mesmerizing mazes, the workers behind the barriers have equally plaintive cries.
“I think the public thinks we just came up with these harebrained ideas, put the work zone in place,” said MDOT Safety Engineer Brian Travis. “That’s not the case. It is well thought out.”
“We want to go home, to our families, to our loved ones,” said Rowe Professional Services Traffic Engineer Mike Royalty.
Last year, Michigan saw 7,436 work zone involved in traffic accidents, a significant 28% jump over last year, averaging a stunning 20 a day.
We saw 23 work zone fatalities last year, a 15% increase over 2021.
Most of those were errant drivers not following signs or directions, said Travis while working on the I-96 construction sites.
“We had five fatal crashes last year between these two projects,” Travis said. “Four of them were attributed to distracted driving. So, I would say that’s the number one problem that we see.”
It’s mostly those behind the wheel dying, mainly because of the work behind concrete barriers.
“We’ve had incidents on this job, where projectiles and even vehicles have come over the top of barrier walls, and if you would have been standing there thinking you’re safe without your head on a swivel, it can be very serious,” Royalty said.
It’s often the construction sites without barrier walls that are most dangerous and deadly.
In September 2020, the eastbound I-94 hit-and-run left 26-year-old Zach Morrissette dead while he was trying to replace a manhole cover.
Another roadway construction worker died that same week up north.
“The slogan for the last several years has been ‘Drive towards zero deaths,’” said Travis.
This includes daily safety briefings, changing work zones to allow for emergency vehicle access, and giving any hard hat out there the power to pull the lever and stop everything if safety becomes an issue.
For a very frustrated Ajax Paving Safety Director, Matt Payne, it’s all pretty straightforward.
“This is our office, and this is where we work,” said Payne. “There’s hard-working men and women every day coming to work, and we shouldn’t have to worry about distracted driving, speeding drivers, drivers driving under the influence, coming into our work zones. I can say firsthand that it happens quite a bit.”
Construction is going to be with us for a while. They’re going to certain areas down in November for the winter, but they will be back next spring with more construction.
So the best advice for everyone is to take a step back, take a deep breath, and stay calm so everybody gets home safely.
As expected, Metro Detroit sees the highest numbers in virtually every accident and fatality category in the MSP report. It also narrows down the day and time of day for the most construction site accidents to Friday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.