Crash Data Analysis
What crash records tell us about work zones across the nine Northeast states, primarily for 2018–2022, split into two views: fatal work zone crashes, where a national dataset exists, and all work zone crashes, where the picture depends on what each state reports.
Fatal work zone crashes
Fatal crashes are the one part of the work zone picture covered by a consistent national dataset (FARS), so counts are comparable across states and years. The basics for the nine-state region and study period are below; this page then adds the project's analysis of how fatal work zone crashes differ from other fatal crashes.
Work zone fatalities by state, 2018 to 2022
| State | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2018 to 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 16 |
| Maine | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Massachusetts | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 27 |
| New Hampshire | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 13 | 42 |
| New York | 5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Pennsylvania | 23 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 84 |
| Rhode Island | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Vermont | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Nine-state total | 40 | 48 | 56 | 41 | 44 | 229 |
Counts are fatalities (persons killed), not fatal crashes. Annual counts in the smaller states are very low, so single-year changes there should not be read as trends.
Roadway workers killed, 2018 to 2022
Most people killed in work zone crashes are vehicle occupants and other road users, but the share involving a roadway worker varies widely across the region.
| State | Workers killed | Share of work zone fatalities involving a worker |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 1 | 6.3% |
| Maine | 0 | 0% |
| Massachusetts | 5 | 19.2% |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 16.7% |
| New Jersey | 1 | 2.9% |
| New York | 10 | 30.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 1.3% |
| Rhode Island | 0 | 0% |
| Vermont | 0 | 0% |
| Nine-state total | 19 | 9.0% |
| National (reference) | 12.1% |
Worker figures come from the Clearinghouse-sourced portion of the project analysis, whose underlying fatality totals differ slightly in vintage from the FARS table above, so shares do not compute exactly against it.
This is a snapshot to supplement, not replace, the national resource. Authoritative and continuously updated work zone fatal crash, fatality, and worker fatality tables, including years beyond this study period, are maintained by the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse.
What makes fatal work zone crashes different
Project analysis of fatal crashes (FARS, 2018–2022) shows two consistent regional patterns: front-to-rear collisions are far overrepresented in work zone fatal crashes, and large trucks and buses are involved two to four times as often as in fatal crashes overall.
| State | Front-to-rear (work zone fatal crashes) | Front-to-rear (all fatal crashes) | Truck/bus involved (work zone fatal crashes) | Truck/bus involved (all fatal crashes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 56% | 15% | 44% | 10% |
| Maine | 40% | 8% | 29% | 11% |
| Massachusetts | 60% | 17% | 27% | 10% |
| New Hampshire | 50% | 13% | 33% | 11% |
| New Jersey | 47% | 21% | 20% | 15% |
| New York | 67% | 18% | 33% | 13% |
| Pennsylvania | 63% | 15% | 49% | 14% |
| Rhode Island | 50% | 17% | 33% | 7% |
| Vermont | 0% | 10% | 40% | 15% |
Percentages are based on small numbers of fatal crashes in several states (especially Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island) and should be read as indicative patterns, not precise rates.
All work zone crashes
Beyond fatal crashes there is no national dataset: totals and injury figures come from state sources such as DOT publications, official announcements, and data provided to the project. What you see here is an illustration of the kinds of work zone crash data that could be assembled, not a complete or standardized accounting. Some states maintain robust, regularly published work zone crash data, while others publish very little or release figures only on request. Years differ by state because publication practices differ; that variation is itself a key finding.
Choose a state
State-reported work zone crash data
Connecticut
Non-fatal injuries from work zone crashes, 2018–2022
Source: Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT). CT Crash Data Repository.
Data availability: Connecticut publishes injury data from work zone crashes; the review did not identify a published annual series of total work zone crash counts, though crash records are queryable through the CT Crash Data Repository.
Maine
Data availability: MaineDOT maintains work zone crash data, including a 2013–2022 series referenced in the project analysis. The series is not reproduced here; see MaineDOT's crash data page and the forthcoming full report. MaineDOT Crash Data and Safety Publications.
Massachusetts
Serious-injury work zone crashes, 2018–2024
Source: MassDOT IMPACT Crash Data Portal (Serious Injury Emphasis Areas dashboard). MassDOT Crash Data Portal (IMPACT).
Data availability: Total work zone crash counts and serious-injury crash counts are available through the MassDOT IMPACT portal; the project analysis charted the serious-injury series.
New Hampshire
Data availability: New Hampshire does not regularly publish a public work zone crash series. The project compiled limited counts from public announcements; given sourcing limitations they are presented in the full report rather than reproduced here.
New Jersey
Total work zone crashes
Sources: peer-reviewed severity modeling of New Jersey work zone crashes (Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 2022); NJDOT Division of Highway Traffic Safety. No public total counts are available after 2019. NJDOT Crash Data.
Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes, 2019–2021
Work zone crashes were 11.5% of all New Jersey CMV crashes in 2019–2021. Source: New Jersey Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan, FY2024 (FMCSA).
Data availability: Raw NJTR-1 crash records exist through 2022, but no public total work zone crash counts have been published after 2019.
New York
Total work zone crashes (NYSDOT and Thruway Authority roads)
Sources: NYS Governor's Office announcements (2019–2025); NYSDOT. 2020 and 2022 totals are not publicly available, and counting methodology varies across years (work zone intrusions vs. total crashes; NYSDOT-only vs. including the Thruway Authority).
Persons injured in work zone crashes
Sources: NYS Governor's Office announcements; NYSDOT incident tracking. Subject to the same methodology caveats as the total series.
Data availability: Series cover state-maintained roads only and mix reporting methodologies; year-over-year comparisons should be made with caution.
Pennsylvania
Total work zone crashes, 2018–2023
Source: PennDOT and PA Turnpike Commission National Work Zone Awareness Week announcements (2019–2025). Pennsylvania publishes the region's most complete public series; totals declined 33% over the period, which overlaps the work zone speed safety camera program. Pennsylvania Crash Information Tool.
Share of work zone crashes involving a fatality or injury
Source: PA Crash Facts & Statistics annual reports (years as available).
Data availability: Comprehensive annual public reporting of work zone crash totals and injury shares.
Rhode Island
Work zone crashes, 2017–2024
Sources: Rhode Island Highway Safety Plan (2017–2020); RIDOT internal data tool, provided to UMassSafe (2021–2024).
Vehicles and people involved in work zone crashes, 2021–2024
| Year | Vehicles involved | People involved |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,484 | 2,336 |
| 2022 | 1,526 | 2,361 |
| 2023 | 1,782 | 2,794 |
| 2024 | 2,653 | 4,084 |
Source: RIDOT internal data tool, provided to UMassSafe.
Data availability: 2017–2020 counts were published in the Rhode Island Highway Safety Plan; the 2021–2024 series was provided to the project on request from RIDOT's internal data tool.
Vermont
Total work zone crashes
Sources: VTrans Speed Safety Cameras in Work Zones Report (January 2022; 209 crashes over five years); VTrans 2024 announcement (2023 count). Vermont Public Crash Data Query Tool.
Work zone crashes vs. all crashes: key factors
| Factor | Work zone crashes | All crashes |
|---|---|---|
| Involving speeding or reckless driving | 30.1% | 23.4% |
| Resulting in a fatality or injury | 28.7% | 20.8% |
Source: VTrans Speed Safety Cameras in Work Zones Report (2022), citing the VTrans Crash Query Tool.
Data availability: Only aggregate counts are published (about 42 crashes per year); small annual numbers limit trend analysis.
Data availability varies widely, a finding in itself
One of the review's central conclusions is that regional benchmarking is currently impossible: states differ in whether, how often, and under what definitions they publish work zone crash data. This gap is addressed directly in the forthcoming Improvement Plan.
| State | Public total work zone crash series | Injury measures available |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Not identified in this review | Non-fatal injuries published |
| Maine | Yes (MaineDOT, 2013–2022) | None identified |
| Massachusetts | Yes, via the IMPACT portal | Serious-injury crashes via IMPACT |
| New Hampshire | No regular public series | None identified |
| New Jersey | Not public after 2019 | CMV subset only (CVSP) |
| New York | Partial (2020 and 2022 missing) | Persons injured (methodology varies) |
| Pennsylvania | Yes, annual (2018–2023) | Share involving fatality or injury |
| Rhode Island | Partial: 2017–2020 published (Highway Safety Plan); 2021–2024 provided on request | Vehicles and people involved |
| Vermont | Aggregate only (~42/year) | Factor comparisons via Act 55 study |