Write Up:

In the first quarter of 2025, MoDOT reported 12  TMA/TrMA/PV crashes. The previous four-year average for the first quarter was 12.8 crashes. Historically, the majority of first quarter incidents occur while performing pothole patching, sweeping or litter removal.  For the first quarter of 2025 crews statewide have spent 89,768 hours patching potholes, 8,382 hours sweeping/brooming and 47,749 hours performing litter removal resulting in a total of 823,540 miles driven to complete these tasks.  Some crashes can cause minor damage, but many require a new TMA/TrMA which costs roughly $50,000. Additional costs can include increased staffing, repair or replacement of the truck, lost work time and medical expenses. The most significant impact from TMA/TrMA/PV crashes is the potential lifelong severe injuries that can affect an employee’s quality of life or loss of life for which no cost can be quantified. 

This quarter, three employees involved in a TMA/TrMA/PV crash sought medical attention for their injuries. The 12 TMA/TrMA/PV crashes this quarter occurred predominantly in urban areas on major routes during daytime operations. Those operations included five pothole patching, three sweeping, three litter removal and one while working on signals/camera at an intersection.

Purpose of the Measure:

MoDOT owns more than 500 truck- or trailer-mounted attenuators used to help save lives by absorbing the impact of a crash in a work zone. By measuring the number of TMA/protective vehicle hits, MoDOT can identify and share information about higher-risk activities that could result in a crash and develop strategies to eliminate work zone crashes. 

Measurement and Data Collection:

When a TMA incident occurs, a claim report is completed. The claim report and any associated police reports are reviewed by Risk Management Technicians for interpretation. A statewide work zone incident team reviews TMA incidents and seeks strategies for operations improvement to reduce or eliminate the incidents. Only incidents where the TMA was in an active work zone protecting workers are included in this data. This measure is reported based on quarters of a calendar year.