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A New Year means invigorated planning efforts within our company. A new start to the year gives us (and you!) an opportunity to revisit what worked well in the past and to consider where our efforts might be focused in the future.

Here at North America Traffic, our commitment to partnering with industry leaders to decrease and prevent fatalities is a continued priority. In 2020, we look forward to continuing our association with Toward Zero Deaths, as we advocate our shared passion to end needless roadside deaths. Whether they’re providing resources for companies and citizens, or implementing new programs, Toward Zero Deaths works to build relationships and initiatives that assist organizations in partnering with each other to find solutions. Workplaces can collaborate to enforce existing strategies (as well as come up with their own) to reduce, and ultimately prevent, roadside fatalities and serious injuries.

Do YOUR part to keep roads safe!

Toward Zero Deaths promotes a “multidisciplinary approach” to addressing the issue of traffic and worker safety. Their recommendations are more than just suggestions for workers: they’re suggestions for anyone who passes through the work site. Drivers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with safe driving practices in roadway work zones and workers are supplied with information on roadway safety, including proper gear (such as retroreflective clothing).  But, even with the best of intentions, sometimes safety protocols aren’t enough to keep flaggers safe. In 2017, there were 799 work-zone fatalities across the United States, and approximately 132 of them were road workers.  

So, it becomes apparent that, even with targeted safety measures in place, workers are still vulnerable to hazards. The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) has outlined three factors that contribute to crashes:

1. Human behaviour.
2. The roadway itself.
3. The vehicle.

A combination of these factors leads to accidents every day. Even workers who take all necessary precautions can be injured or killed by a distracted driver or poor visibility in a work site. Perhaps what is most disturbing about this revelation is a worker’s vulnerability at a construction site: their safety depends on the conditions of the work site, focus of drivers, and the vehicles that pass through the site. You and your workers can do everything right, but fatal injuries are still a possibility as a result of distracted driving. But how do you control these unpredictable factors?

Our solution is simple: AFAD

At North America Traffic, our solution to these tragedies is simple: equip human flaggers with an Automated Flagger Assistance Device (AFAD). When you take the flagger off the roadway, the number of work-related fatalities will reduce dramatically.

Did you know? Our founder, Peter Vieveen, invented the first automated flagging device in 1994! And we’re proud to be a part of his journey toward worker safety. Although we’ve changed a lot since the first AFAD was created, we’ve made sure that our devices are reliable, simple to operate, versatile, and are a safe alternative for people who are on the roads.

Our RCF 2.4 AFAD was the first of its kind . . . but it’s certainly not the last! It’s safe, simple, and reliable making it ideal for use on temporary construction sites. The RCF 2.4 AFAD has a single head with red and yellow LED lights, and a reflective gate arm to improve visibility for drivers. It’s designed for fast set-up, so you can set it once and get to work. Its intuitive controller lets workers control it from a safe distance.

According to research collected in Maine, 100% of workers who used AFAD’s on 59 different construction projects recommended that additional AFAD’s be purchased for other job sites across the state. Even management and crew members who didn’t have to use the AFADs felt that the devices were vital. AFAD operators don’t need to stand in the middle of the road to ensure that flow of traffic is maintained; they can be protected. Safe workers are productive ones!  

The result is simple, AFAD’s help reduce injury and increases your crew’s uptime. Join us in starting the year off with safe, efficient, and effective methods that you can implement on your jobsite. You can be a forerunner of change in 2020! Set up an AFAD today to help make worker safety a priority in 2020.

Not sure where to start? To find a dealer near you, click here or check out our FAQ page to learn more about AFAD’s and how to make work sites, and workers, safer!