The Tennessee Department of Transportation invested in new LED sign paddles in hopes of lowering the number of workers injured or killed on Tennessee roads.
For TDOT, Spring means the start of more road projects and work zones. A total of 112 TDOT workers have died in the line of duty since 1948.
The agency looked into safety resource upgrades after a flagger was hit in Fayette County in 2017.
One of those upgrades was an LED stop/slow paddle for flaggers to use in two-lane work zones.
"We really want to focus our resources and training toward making sure they are safe," said Safety Director Jay Norris.
A Georgia company designed the $40,000 signs. They'll be placed in every Tennessee County.
"They are our first line of defense when dealing with traffic. And so that is an incredibly dangerous job," Norris said.
Tennessee is the only state to use the LED stop/slow paddles so far. The goal is to not only protect workers but also drivers.
