In the fourth quarter of 2024, MoDOT reported six TMA/TrMA crashes. There were 33 crashes in 2024 which is the lowest reporting since 2020, matching the total crashes in 2019.This is a reduction of 43% from 2023. Some crashes can cause minor damage but many require a new TMA/TrMA which costs roughly $50,000. Additional costs can include increased staffing, repairment or replacement the host truck, lost work time and medical expenses. The most significant impact from TMA/TrMA 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, one employee involved in a TMA crash sought medical attention for their injuries. The six TMA/TrMA crashes this quarter occurred predominantly in urban areas during daytime operations. Those operations included pothole patching, signing, barrier wall repair, milling road surface, repairing an overhead signal and one occurred while performing drainage work.

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. 

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.