State-by-State Highway Safety Plans

Just when you thought it was safe to pull out the driveway, it’s that time of the year again. As the weather warms up, so does the activity at your local highway department. Armed with orange cones, flashing lights, and detour signs, the road workers of America are on the job making the open road safer for the country’s ever increasing fleet of drivers.
With coffers filled to the brim with stimulus money, states don’t have much choice. The federal government has required each one to file an annual safety plan to detail their strategies to reduce the number of fatalities caused by accidents each year. Although some are a direct cause of drunk driving and cell-phone usage, road conditions contributed to many of these tragedies.
However, the various DOTs are definitely doing something right. In 1980, 53,200 people died on US highways in motor-vehicle accidents. By 2008, this number had dropped to a mere 39,000. Of course, even a single traffic fatality is too much for any state. Wondering if your route might be changing? Check this list to find out.