The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has introduced several safety measures to increase worker safety, including tiered fines for speeding, and the mandatory use of Workers Present trailers to draw drivers’ attention to the presence of workers. Under the new law, worker presence commands higher fines when speeding tickets are issued in a work zone. This requirement came into effect on January 1st, 2025.
Another Step Towards Worker Safety
The primary goal of these trailers is to grab motorists’ attention and reduce the risk of accidents in work zones. In 2024, a series of measures were put in place through the Road Workers Protection Act, in response to alarming statistics indicating that work zone crashes occur on average three times a day. In 2023, a car driving more than 100 mph crashed into a work zone, killing six construction workers on a Maryland highway.
Implemented Measures
Measures taken to improve worker safety include:
- Allowing more than one speed camera to be placed in larger work zones
- Doubling fines for speeding in work zones
- Updating signage and lighting to help identify when workers are present on the job site
Why Workers Present Trailers?
As far as signage goes, Workers Present trailers are highly successful at grabbing motorists’ attention thanks to 12-inch beacons that flash in an alternating pattern. This strong visual cue drives attention to the sign, alerting motorists to worker presence or informing them of higher fines in the work zone.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) notes in its Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule that dynamic messaging and visual cues, such as flashing beacons, significantly influence driver behavior and increase compliance with speed limits.
Other uses of trailers with alternate flashing beacons include situations like low visibility, flooded roadways, the presence of oversized vehicles, etc.
In Maryland, implementing this measure marks another step towards making work zones safer for workers and ensuring all who share the road make it safely home.
More Information About Workers Present Trailers
Selecting the right Workers Present trailer means choosing a model that will successfully attract attention and lead to the desired behaviour: lower speed and attentive driving. Using the latest technologies, Ver-Mac engineers have designed a Workers Present trailer to achieve this goal. It has been approved for use by MDOT.
This unit also offers various modes of activation that save time and ensure the beacons are activated when needed.
Activations types:
- Locally on the trailer’s V-Touch Controller
- Scheduled, with pre-defined dates/times
- Remotely via JamLogic on your laptop, smartphone, or tablet
- Automatically: using Ver-Mac's Connected Worker Technology
