Two days after the accident that cost the life of a worker on the E42, the Vias institute for road safety points out that the number of accidents occurring in mobile or fixed work zones has been multiplying over the last few years.
More than three people are killed or injured in on-site accidents every day in Belgium.
In total last year, 884 physical accidents resulting in 16 dead and 1,164 injured were recorded.
Since 2014, the number of accidents has increased by 19%: up 14% on motorways and 21% on other roads. Figures are on the rise in all Regions, although the increase is markedly more significant in Brussels (+123%) and Wallonia (+23%) than in Flanders (+9%).
On motorways, one in two on-site accidents involves a lorry (as against 26% in general) and sometimes signposting, with one in four involving a van (against 17% in general), which increases the seriousness of such accidents by 30% in comparison to the accident average.
There are effectively 40 deaths for every 1,000 accidents (as against 31 elsewhere).
In a good number of cases, failure to slow down and driver distraction are to blame. Vias also acknowledges the narrowness of the traffic lanes.
"Driving too fast along them can be dangerous for the workers but can also cause them stress and be harmful to their health: more noise, more fumes, more pollution...," the Institute maintained.
A worker lost his life on Wednesday afternoon after being struck by a car on roadworks taking place on the E42 near Temploux.
The female driver swerved to avoid a buffer lorry, striking the worker in charge of signalling, who was thrown several dozen metres and died instantly.
The Brussels Times
