The state of Tennessee released statistics regarding work zone safety on Monday.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), there were 2,431 crashes in work zones in 2025.
According to a smaller sample size from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, during a period of time from Jan. 2 through March 24, 2025, there were 405 work zone crashes.
According to a further breakdown of those crash numbers, 92 of those crashes involved what the agency classified as “a large truck.”
Five involved a “non-motorist.”
Further, its data showed that one out of 16 crashes involved a distracted driver, one in four resulted in a possible injury.
On a national scale, the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) states on its website that in 2022 there were 891 fatalities, which was down from 2021 which reported 963 fatal crashes.
According to the National Workzone Safety Information Clearinghouse, 307 work zone crashes in 2023 involved Commercial Motor Vehicles.
Data from the clearinghouse remained steady over a 10-year period, from 2014 through 2023, with little explanation.
Why so much CMV involvement in fatal work zone crashes?
It could be several factors including more work zones on roadways with more CMVs; more CMVs traveling to and from the work zone to deliver and take away materials and equipment; or because work zones are more challenging for CMV drivers to negotiate, or because driver distraction/inattention results in more frequent rear-end collisions by CMVs and into the rear of CMVs by non-CMVs.
“All four possibilities may be partially responsible,” the clearinghouse stated.
THP is advising drivers to be on the lookout in Tennessee for work zones and its workers urging drivers to “give workers plenty of space to do their job, and never drive around barriers or cones.”
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
