Roadway Work Zone Fatalities Increased by 9% in Texas in 2020 April 27, 2021
The number of Texas work zone fatalities increased by 9% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to state transportation officials.
Drivers and their passengers account for the majority of those who have died in work zone crashes. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) says that in 2020, there were more than 22,000 traffic crashes in Texas work zones with 186 people killed, including four road workers.
Those killed in work zones included 147 motorists and vehicle passengers, along with 35 pedestrians and bicyclists and four road workers.
TxDOT’s “Be Safe. Drive Smart.” campaign is marking National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 26–30, with safety tips to reduce work zone fatalities.
Texas Workers’ Compensation System’s Path to Wellness December 16, 2020
Since 2003, insurance rates in the Texas workers’ compensation system have dropped by nearly 72 percent, according to a new study released by a research group within the state’s insurance department.
In 2003, the Texas workers’ compensation system was in dire straits. Medical costs per claim were high, return-to-work rates were dismal, and satisfaction with care was low. Workers’ comp insurance was expensive and hard to find.
Legislation approved that year, as well as in 2001, ushered in some reforms, but House Bill 7, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2005 has had a greater impact, transforming the state’s workers’ comp system from one of the least weakest in the U.S. to one of the healthiest.