Key takeaways
- Being struck by a vehicle is one of the most serious hazards in traffic control, from both passing traffic and the site's own plant.
- Exposure peaks during set-up, pack-down, crossing lanes, retrieving knocked devices and working beside the ute on the traffic side.
- Reversing trucks and plant inside the work zone are as dangerous as traffic outside it.
- Controls follow the hierarchy: remove people from traffic, separate with barriers or a TMA, reduce speed, warn, then rely on PPE and good habits.
- Brief the exposure moments and escape routes at every pre-start, and report every near miss.
Struck by vehicle roadworks incidents happen when traffic controllers are exposed to moving vehicles, either passing traffic or the site's own plant. The riskiest moments are set-up, pack-down, crossing lanes, retrieving knocked devices and working beside the ute on the traffic side. Controls start with keeping people out of traffic, then separation, lower speeds and warnings.
This guide is for traffic controllers, team leaders and supervisors. It walks through where and why crews get hit, the controls that work, and a set-up example showing how a crew manages exposure from the first sign to the last. It does not replace your training, the traffic guidance scheme (TGS), the SWMS or your state's requirements. Work on or next to a road used by traffic is high-risk construction work, so a SWMS must be in place before work starts.
The two sources of struck-by risk
Crews tend to focus on the cars outside the cones. Both sources matter.
Passing traffic. Errant, speeding, distracted, impaired or confused drivers can enter the work zone. A rear-end crash at the back of a queue can push a stopped vehicle forward towards a controller. Heavy vehicles can lose control on wet roads or misjudge a lane change.
The site's own vehicles. Trucks reversing to the paver, a loader swinging, a concrete truck backing out, a water cart, a ute moving between sign positions. Operators may have limited vision behind them, and noise can drown out reversing alarms. Our reversing plant and spotters guide covers this in depth.
The high-exposure moments
| Moment | Why it's risky | Key controls |
|---|---|---|
| Placing the first advance signs | No protection yet; drivers not warned | Correct set-up order, vehicle protection where the TGS requires, face traffic |
| Pack-down of the last signs | Drivers have adjusted to the closure being gone | Reverse order, protected removal, stay alert to the end |
| Crossing live lanes | On foot in the travel path | Avoid where possible; cross only in clear gaps; use the plan's crossing method |
| Retrieving a knocked cone or sign | Device is often in or near a live lane | Wait for a gap or stop traffic as allowed; never dart out |
| Working beside the ute | Ute often parked close to traffic | Load and unload on the non-traffic side |
| Standing at a stop/slow station | Exposed if a driver doesn't stop | Station off the travel path; escape route; consider portable signals |
| Reversing plant in the zone | Driver can't see you | Spotters, exclusion zones, eye contact, radio |
| End of queue | Rear-end crashes push vehicles forward | Monitor queue length; move warning signs back |
| Night, rain or glare | Drivers see you later | Lighting, reflective gear, better positioning |
These moments share something: a person on foot, close to a moving vehicle, with nothing between them. Remove any one of those three and the risk drops.
Controls using the hierarchy
The hierarchy of controls is the standard way to manage struck-by risk. Higher controls work better than lower ones.
- Eliminate the exposure. Close the road and detour, use portable traffic signals instead of manual stop/slow, or schedule work for low-traffic periods.
- Separate. Barriers between workers and traffic, or a truck-mounted attenuator (TMA) to protect the work area and set-up. See our truck-mounted attenuator guide.
- Reduce speed. A temporary speed limit, as approved, gives drivers more time to react and reduces impact severity.
- Warn. Advance signs, VMS boards, arrow boards and end-of-queue measures alert drivers early.
- Administrative and PPE. Correct set-up order, escape routes, spotters, briefings, high-visibility clothing and positioning.
Every set-up uses several of these. The question for the supervisor at each job is whether you can move up the list. Our work zone intrusion guide explains how intrusions happen and what reduces them.
Example scenario: setting up a lane closure on a 70 km/h arterial
Here is how this plays out on a typical job. The details are illustrative.
The job. A kerbside lane closure on a four-lane divided arterial for pit works. Posted speed 70 km/h, reduced through the work zone as the TGS and approval specify. The crew is a supervisor, two traffic controllers and a TMA on the closure. Work starts at 9 am, after the morning peak.
Pre-start, 8:30 am. The supervisor runs through the TGS and the exposure moments: placing the advance signs, setting the taper, crossing to the median, and the vacuum truck reversing into the zone. Escape routes are agreed for each position. Radio channels are checked. Everyone signs the SWMS.
Set-up, 9:00 am. The TMA is positioned as the TGS requires to protect the crew as signs are placed. TC 1 places the advance signs from the kerbside, facing traffic, moving with the vehicle. Signs and cones are unloaded from the kerb side of the ute, never the traffic side.
What goes wrong. As the taper is set, a cone is clipped by a passing vehicle and rolls into the adjacent live lane. TC 2 starts to step out to grab it.
The fix. The supervisor calls "hold" on the radio. TC 2 stops. The cone is left until the supervisor confirms a safe gap and the TMA is in position behind it. TC 2 retrieves it then, facing traffic, then the supervisor resets the taper.
During works. The vacuum truck reverses into the zone with TC 1 as spotter. TC 1 stands to the side, in the driver's mirror view, with eye contact and radio contact before the truck moves. Nobody walks behind the truck.
Pack-down, 2:30 pm. Removal follows the reverse order with the TMA protecting. The last advance sign is removed last. The supervisor reminds the crew at the start of pack-down that drivers expect the closure to stay and may not react to people near the lane.
Records. The supervisor records the near miss with the cone: what happened, the intervention and a briefing point for the next job (never retrieve a device from a live lane without a hold call). Our near miss reporting guide covers how to write these up.
Habits that keep you out of the path
Controls on paper only work if crews use them on the day. These habits make the difference:
- Face traffic whenever you're near a live lane. If you must turn away, have someone watching for you.
- Know your escape route and keep it clear. Check it again after the work area changes.
- Never step out from behind a vehicle without looking. Utes, trucks and signs block drivers' view of you, and yours of them.
- Don't chase devices. A knocked cone is cheaper than a controller.
- Stay where the TGS puts you. Drifting into the lane to be more visible is a common way to get hit.
- Watch the queue. If it passes the advance signs, call the supervisor so the warning can be moved back.
- Speak up. If a set-up feels wrong, stop and raise it. Supervisors should welcome it.
What supervisors check during the shift
A set-up that was safe at 9 am may not be safe at noon. Traffic builds, queues grow, plant moves, devices get knocked and people get tired. In NSW practice, traffic control is inspected at the start and end of every shift and at suitable intervals during it, and the results are recorded on the project's forms. Use those inspections to look for struck-by exposure, not just missing cones.
| Check | What to look for | Action if wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Controller positions | Standing where the TGS shows, off the travel path | Move back; find out why they drifted |
| Escape routes | Still clear of plant, stockpiles and parked vehicles | Clear them or move the obstruction |
| Queue length | Queue staying behind the advance warning signs | Move warning back as the TGS allows; consider other measures |
| Device condition | Cones, signs and barriers in place and upright | Reset safely with a hold call |
| Plant movements | Spotters in place; nobody walking behind reversing vehicles | Stop movements until fixed |
| Crew condition | Signs of fatigue, heat stress or distraction | Rotate, relieve or rest |
| Ute parking | Not blocking sight lines or escape routes | Re-park |
Driving through the set-up as a road user does is also worth doing at least once a shift, where it can be done safely. It shows you what drivers see: whether the controllers are visible, whether the signs make sense and whether the taper is clear. Our work zone drive-through inspection guide explains how.
Record what you find and what you changed. An inspection record that says "all OK" every two hours is less useful than one that says "queue reached the advance sign at 11:40, sign moved back, TC 1 rotated at 12:00".
Fatigue, weather and night work
Struck-by risk rises when people are tired or conditions are poor. Long shifts slow reactions; rain and glare reduce drivers' sight of you; night work combines both. Follow your company's fatigue limits and relieve controllers on time. In rain and at night, check your hi-vis and reflective gear, and recheck the lighting so you're visible without dazzling drivers.
Next steps
Brief the exposure moments by name at your next pre-start and agree a hold call for retrieving devices. Supervisors can use our free pre-start and inspection checklists to cover them. For operators, TrafWise puts pre-start checks, SWMS sign-on and fatigue checks on rosters in the crew app. For current guidance, see Safe Work Australia, SafeWork NSW and Austroads.
Frequently asked questions
How do traffic controllers get hit by vehicles?
Usually by an errant or speeding vehicle entering the work zone, a driver who doesn't see them, a vehicle pushed forward in a rear-end crash, or the site's own reversing plant. The risk rises when controllers are on foot near live lanes, such as during set-up, pack-down, crossing the road or retrieving knocked devices.
When are traffic controllers most at risk on site?
During set-up and pack-down, when the first and last signs are placed without protection, and when controllers cross live lanes, step out from behind vehicles, or work beside the ute on the traffic side. Long shifts and fatigue add risk, as do night work, rain, glare and queues building past the advance signs.
What controls protect traffic controllers from being struck?
Use the hierarchy of controls. Remove people from traffic where possible with portable signals or closures, separate them with barriers or a truck-mounted attenuator, reduce speed, warn drivers with signs and VMS, and then rely on high-visibility clothing, escape routes, spotters and good positioning. Your TGS and SWMS set the controls.
Do traffic controllers need a spotter for reversing trucks?
Many sites require a spotter or traffic controller to manage reversing plant and trucks, especially in tight work zones or where people are on foot. The site's traffic management plan and SWMS set the requirement. Never stand behind a reversing vehicle, and agree hand signals and radio calls with the driver first.
What should I do after a near miss with a vehicle?
Make yourself and the crew safe first, then tell the supervisor straight away. Record the time, location, vehicle description, registration if seen, and what happened. Report it through the company's near miss process. Near misses show where the set-up or method needs to change before someone is hurt.