Construction Zone Safety

There were 720 highway construction zone fatalities in the United States in 2008. Collisions such as these are one of the main causes of on-the-job deaths in our country.

When you drive near a construction zone there are a number of things that you should do in order to make it a safer place for the construction workers, yourself, and any of your passengers.

First, you should be aware of the speed limit. As you approach a construction zone, you will probably see signs mandating that you decrease your speed. By following the instructions you will have ample time to adapt to the changing road conditions ahead.

However, if you ignore the signs and choose to speed through a construction zone you should be prepared for a pretty stiff fine. In most instances the fine for speeding in a highway construction work zone is twice the regular speeding fine.

That's because when you speed you are posing additional risks to the safety and the health of highway workers.

In addition, it might be necessary for the highway construction workers to temporarily stop traffic. Therefore you should be prepared to stop or brake whenever you are in a construction zone.

In addition, when you reduce your speed it will give you the necessary time to react should the driver in front of you come to a sudden stop. Make sure that you leave at least one car length between your car and the vehicle in front of you for every ten miles per hour that you are travelling. And the minimum distance should be at least two car lengths.

Also you should be aware that the speed limits within highway construction work zones could change several times while you are in the zone. So you must pay careful attention to the signs and to the construction workers. Be ready to reduce your speed as necessary.

Keep your eyes open for various objects such as orange hazard cones that can enter directly into your path as you drive through these work zones. And bear in mind that other motorists may swerve to try to avoid hitting any of these objects.

It should go without saying that any distractions should be avoided.

So you should not talk on your cell phone, change the radio station, apply makeup, deal with any unruly kids in your car, etc. If you are distracted, even for a moment, your eyes will be diverted from the road. And, as a consequence, you could be responsible for injuring or killing an innocent person.

Highway accidents fall under the area of personal injury law.


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To find out more about personal injury law, go to http://www.sokolovelaw.com/

Wendy Moyer on behalf of Sokolove Law.