People often drive along familiar routes every day and know precisely the time required for reaching their destinations. This causes many to wait until the last minute and even later before starting their drive. That’s why the sight of a road construction zone causes many to get hot under the collar. Work zones can cause courteous drivers to get impatient and aggressive drivers to manifest road rage when construction work prevents a speedy commute.
When you add this psychology to the objective dangers of lane mergers, concrete barriers, and narrow shoulderless lanes with construction equipment and workers milling about, you have the perfect recipe for a car crash. Although these accidents often occur between motor vehicles, construction workers are also victims.
As dangerous as construction zones are, they are necessary for keeping our highway system in good repair. Minimize the hazards of these areas by following these five safety tips:
- Stay Calm – Don’t try to rush through the area by aggressively cutting off other cars and pressuring the motorist ahead of you into hurrying up. These tactics save little if any time.
- Avoid Distraction – Pay attention to the situation at hand. Construction areas involve lane mergers, sudden jogs in the road, and stop-and-go traffic.
- Slow Down and Observe the Posted Speed Limit – Traffic fines are doubled in construction zones when signs and workers are present. Some of the worst accidents occur when vehicles traveling at highway speeds fail to slow down in time. Resume normal speeds only when signs allow this.
- Allow Plenty of Space – Allow two seconds of stopping time between yourself and the car ahead. Do this by counting the elapsed time between when the car ahead passes an object and you’re reaching the same object. Center your car within the lane.
- Merge Early – Merge out of the closed lanes as soon as possible. When everyone does this, traffic flow is smoother. Avoid driving up to the point of the lane closure and barging your way in.
Finally, check with online notices of road construction before leaving on your trip. This enables you to allow extra time or to plan an alternate route.
If you were involved in an accident and require legal advice from experienced lawyers, contact us today.