ATSSA kicked off its Worker Safety Webinar Series today with a session by Alex Kelly, founder and CEO of SALT + Company.

Calling her presentation “Road Safety 101,” Kelly discussed big picture issues related to the transportation industry and encouraged company owners to veer outside their lane—though not literally—to explore alternate avenues for partnerships.

Today’s session was the first of five Worker Safety Webinars and sponsored by the ATSSA Training Department and the new Roadway Safety Protection Council. The next four webinars will take place in 2022.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) released the results of its industry survey on innovative products for work zones.

This spring, Caltrans gathered information from manufacturers and vendors of work zone-related safety products about recent innovations in the products.

Twelve ATSSA member companies responded about work zone safety products they offer and were mentioned in the 42-page report, “Work Zone Safety: Synthesis of Literature and Industry Survey.”

ATSSA’s 2021 Midyear Meeting kicks off this afternoon in Kansas City, Mo.

More than 300 people have registered for the event that runs through Friday and is being held in hybrid fashion with some attending in person at the Loews Kansas City Hotel and others taking part online.

The week includes the first meeting of the Roadway Worker Protection Council, which takes place Wednesday and evolved from a Roadway Worker Protection Summit held during this year’s Convention and Traffic Expo.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Aug. 9, 2021) – The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation is pleased to announce donations totaling $3,500 from Enterprise Holdings Foundation, which will be used to support the Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship program.

The ATSS Foundation received $2,000 in June from the Enterprise Holdings Foundation at the request of Massana Construction Inc. of Tyrone, Ga., in memory of Michael Keyser Sr. and his son, Nathaniel Keyser, employees who were killed as a result of a work zone incident on Aug. 8, 2017, in Forney, Texas.

The ATSS Foundation received $1,500 in July from the Enterprise Holdings Foundation at the request of D2K Traffic Safety Inc. of Naperville, Ill.

A delegation from the Michigan legislature, in partnership with the Michigan ATSSA Chapter (MI-ATSSA) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), toured an active work zone this week in Flint, Mich.

The legislators experienced first-hand how intense a roadway construction rebuild site can be for workers and motorists. 

Reps. Tim Sneller and John Cherry, as well as Montel Menifee from the office of Michigan Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, took part in the tour, which focused on safety for both workers and motorists within work zones. 

Luke Neurauter, senior research associate in the Division of Vehicle, Driver and Safety Systems at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), is asking ATSSA members and others in the roadway safety industry to take part in a survey on the impact of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) on work zones.

The purpose is to “better understand how CAV technologies will behave when they encounter typical work zone scenarios and what can be done (from the perspectives of both the CAVs and work zone operations) to ensure ultimate compatibility between all available technologies,” according to information from VTTI Senior Research Associate Tammy Trimble.

The research is sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB).

Horizon Signal Technologies Inc. raised $53,000 for The ATSS Foundation through the auction of two trailer-mounted portable traffic signals, setting a fundraising record.

Street Smart Rental, based in Lino Lakes, Minn., made the winning bid of $49,000, with Horizon Signal adding $1,000 to bring the bid total to an even $50,000. In addition, GP Roadway Solutions of Honolulu, Hawaii, which also participated in the auction, donated $3,000, bringing the grand total to $53,000, said Lori Diaz, director of The ATSS Foundation.

Horizon Signal donated 100% of the proceeds from the May auction to The Foundation, which provides education about work zone safety and supports the families of people killed or permanently disabled in work zone incidents.

Two reports this month offer stark reminders of the risks of highway work zones and the importance of roadway safety.

Today, we look at results of a survey of highway workers regarding work zone incidents and the issues contractors identified as key to improving safety for employees in work zones.

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and HCSS Software Solutions surveyed highway contractors on their experiences with respect to work zone safety in 2020. Their 2021 Work Zone Awareness Survey Results, which included responses from 292 firms, found that 60% of contractors reported at least one motor vehicle crash in their work zone.

Two reports this month offer stark reminders of the risks of highway work zones and the importance of roadway safety.

Today we look at the latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which released its early estimate of motor vehicle traffic fatalities for 2020.

Tomorrow, we will look at results of a survey of highway workers regarding work zone incidents and the issues contractors identified as key to improving safety for employees in work zones.

The National Work Zone Memorial makes roadway safety personal by inscribing the names of people killed in work zone incidents. Each person left behind loved ones and co-workers who grieve the loss.

Members can help raise awareness of the toll of work zone incidents by hosting the tribute formally known as “The National Work Zone Memorial - Respect and Remembrance: Reflections of Life on the Road.”

The Foundation encourages ATSSA members, ATSSA chapters, state departments of transportation (DOTs) and industry leaders to host the Memorial at events. It is now available in two formats – a traveling Memorial and a virtual Memorial.