9 of 12 Tennessee Road Construction Zone Deaths Were in Cars

Preliminary figures show nine of the 12 people killed in highway construction zone accidents last year in Tennessee were motorists.

The other three were members of construction crews who were working on roads.

Tennessee Department of Transportation spokeswoman B.J. Doughty told The Tennessean the department wants to ensure the safety of highway workers, but the reality is that construction zones can be more dangerous for drivers.

Doughty said barriers help protect the workers and most construction equipment is larger and heavier than cars and often fares better than them in collisions.