Summer is the time when the weather in Nebraska is most favorable for road construction projects. Therefore, drivers are most likely to encounter construction areas during this time of year. You may regard the modifications to your routine that road construction requires to be a minor annoyance. Nevertheless, work areas on city streets and state highways can also pose a potentially serious hazard.
The Federal Highway Administration reports that work zone crashes in the United States over the last five years have resulted in injuries in more than 200,000 individuals as well as 4,400 deaths. Eighty-five percent of those deaths were occupants of a vehicle, either a passenger or driver, but some of those injured or killed were construction workers. In the interest of keeping everyone safe during these inconvenient but necessary road projects, the FWHA offers the following safety tips.
1. Obey signs and instructions from flaggers
These will inform you which lane to merge into, when you must stop, when it is safe to proceed, etc. Merely paying attention and following directions can go a long way toward preventing work zone accidents.
2. Be mindful of your speed
This means obeying posted speed limits, which often carries a penalty of increased fines when you fail to do so, but it also involves modifying your speed as conditions (e.g., inclement weather) warrant.
3. Minimize distractions
Distracted driving is dangerous under any circumstances, but in a construction zone, it can be deadly. Avoid talking on a cell phone, eating, changing the radio station and other distractions when in a construction zone.
By maintaining patience and vigilance in a construction zone, you may save your own life or the lives of those around you.
The information in this article is not intended as legal advice but provided for educational purposes only.
