Cones, Cameras, and Crosses: Work Zone Awareness Hits Home in the Central Valley

The next orange cone you see on a Central Valley highway might be the only thing standing between a road worker and a speeding vehicle.

In California’s work zones, one impatient driver, one text, or one tap on the gas instead of the brake is all it takes to turn a construction site into a crash scene, and in recent years, those tragedies have been rising, not falling.

“When a driver blows through a work zone, they’re not just breaking a traffic law, they’re gambling with the lives of fathers, mothers, and neighbors who are out there just trying to earn a paycheck,” said Beatriz Trejo, partner and workers’ compensation attorney at the Law Office of Chain | Cohn | Clark. “No family should get a phone call that their loved one was killed because someone refused to slow down for a few hundred yards.”

National Work Zone Awareness Week is held each spring to remind drivers to slow down, stay alert, and expect the unexpected whenever they see cones, signs, or workers on the road. This year, the awareness week runs from April 20–24, with the theme “Safe Actions Save Lives.”

Across the country, the campaign highlights sobering facts:

• In 2023, 899 people were killed in work zone crashes nationwide.
• Between 2013 and 2023, work zone fatalities increased by 50%, even as vehicles have become more technologically advanced.
• In 2023 alone, there were more than 101,000 work zone crashes, leading to over 40,000 injuries.

Many people assume most of those deaths involve road workers, but national data show otherwise: In 2023, 705 of the 899 people killed in work zones were drivers or passengers, not workers. And 82 highway workers still lost their lives that year, a devastating toll for the families and communities who rely on them.

For the Central Valley — where long stretches of Highway 99, Interstate 5, and rural roads are under near‑constant repair — these numbers aren’t abstract. Caltrans and federal data identify California as one of the states with significant “hot spots” for work zone crashes, including corridors that run straight through Kern, Fresno, Tulare, and Merced counties.

California’s Work Zone and the Push for Speed Cameras

California’s roads are busy, aging, and under construction year‑round, which brings constant exposure to work zone dangers. In 2021, the state recorded about 9,000 work zone crashes, causing 3,000 injuries and 73 deaths. Those numbers helped drive a major legal change.

Assembly Bill 289, authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney, recently took effect and authorizes automated speed cameras in highway work zones. The state has installed about 75 cameras so far, with more planned, focusing on high‑risk corridors. Fines under the program typically start at $50 for drivers going 11–15 mph over the work‑zone limit, with higher penalties for more excessive speeds.

The law is designed to protect both approximately 80,000 California road workers and ordinary motorists who are far more likely to be killed in a work zone crash. Research from other states shows that automated speed enforcement in work zones can substantially reduce speeding and crashes, especially when combined with clear signage and public education.

For Central Valley drivers, that means the days of treating work zone speed limits as “suggestions” are over.

Why Work Zones Are So Dangerous

Work zones are uniquely hazardous because they combine narrow lanes, changing patterns, heavy equipment, and human workers with drivers who are often impatient, distracted, or confused. Federal and state safety agencies highlight several recurring factors:

• Speeding and aggressive driving. Drivers who ignore reduced speed limits or tailgate in lane closures have little time to react if traffic suddenly stops or a worker steps near the lane.
• Distraction. Phones, navigation systems, and in‑car screens pull attention away from constantly changing signs, cones, and flagger instructions.
• Large trucks and commercial vehicles. From 2020 to 2021, fatal work zone crashes in California involving large trucks or buses jumped by 41%, and about 15% of fatal work zone crashes in the state involve a commercial motor vehicle.
• Night work. Many Central Valley projects take place at night to reduce daytime congestion, but darkness, glare, and fatigue increase crash risk.

For road workers in places like Kern County that means every passing car or truck is a potential deadly projectile. And for families driving through construction zones on Highway 99 or I‑5, one wrong move can send them into barriers, equipment, or other vehicles.

“Safe Actions Save Lives”: What Drivers Can Do

“Safe Actions Save Lives” isn’t just a slogan, it’s a checklist for how Central Valley drivers can protect themselves and workers:

1. Slow down as soon as you see the first sign. Don’t wait until you’re on top of cones or lane closures. Start easing off the gas when you see “Road Work Ahead” or “Work Zone Begins” signs. Reduced speed limits are calculated to give drivers time to react to unexpected hazards.
2. Eliminate distractions before you enter the zone. Put phones on “Do Not Disturb,” set navigation, and adjust music before you hit the work area. In a zone where lanes shift and workers may be just feet away, you cannot afford split attention.
3. Follow signs and flaggers, not your GPS. Devices may not reflect lane shifts or temporary closures. Always obey posted signs, cones, and flaggers’ instructions, even if your navigation app says otherwise.
4. Leave space, especially behind large trucks. Tailgating in a work zone is a recipe for rear‑end crashes. Maintain extra following distance, and remember that trucks and buses need more room to stop and maneuver.
5. Expect the unexpected. Be ready for sudden stops, workers or equipment entering the lane, narrowed shoulders, and uneven pavement. Assume there’s a hazard just beyond what you can see.
6. Respect night work. At night, slow down even more than you think you need to. Glare, fatigue, and reduced visibility magnify the effect of every mistake.

Chain | Cohn | Clark encourages Central Valley residents to participate in these events, especially Go Orange Day April 22 and the Moment of Silence on April 24, as a way to honor victims and recommit to safer driving.

Despite new laws and awareness campaigns, work zone crashes continue to devastate families, both among road workers and everyday drivers. These collisions often involve high speeds, heavy equipment, and complex questions of responsibility, from negligent drivers to contractors, subcontractors, and government agencies.

“Work zones are supposed to fix our roads, not break our families,” Trejo said. “When someone is hurt or killed because drivers or contractors cut corners on safety, we step in to make sure that pain is not ignored or repeated.”

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If you or someone you know is injured in an accident at the fault of someone else, or injured on the job no matter whose fault it is, contact the attorneys at Chain | Cohn | Clark by calling (661) 323-4000, or fill out a free consultation form, text, or chat with us at chainlaw.com.