Oklahoma has seen a 106% spike in the number of work zone fatalities, Oklahoma’s transportation secretary said Monday.
Tim Gatz, who also serves as the Oklahoma Department of Transportation executive director, said in 2023, there were 33 work zone fatalities in Oklahoma, a 106% increase above the prior year, he said.
A spokesperson for the agency said those are the most available figures.
Gatz attributed the increases to excessive speed and distracted driving.
Gatz said he expects the number of work zone crashes to increase going into the spring.
“A lot of times when you’re driving through some of our work zones, if you are observing the speed limit, it is almost like you’re an impediment to everybody else, creating a very dangerous condition,” Gatz said. “And we need everybody to slow down.”
Gatz said the issue isn’t limited to work zones, but also includes workers performing routine maintenance.
“We’ve had several trucks that were hit while they were parked on the shoulder under full lights, and the state of Oklahoma has a slow down and move over law in place, but we’re struck by a vehicle that drifted into the shoulder,” Gatz said.
