Tips For Driving In A Construction Site
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
Summer is coming, and in Florida, that means road construction season. So it’s a great time to refresh your driver safety before hitting the roads. If you follow these basic safety tips then you can avoid getting into an accident in a construction zone.Construction Zone Accident Statistics
Construction zones are unpredictable and many people don’t know how to navigate through them safely. Here are some important statistics about construction zone accidents:
- Around 50% of all accidents in Florida happen in a construction zone
- There are an average of 87,000 accidents in construction zones every year nationally
- Around 500 of these accidents resulted in a fatality
- An average of 50,000 result in injury
- Florida has the third highest number of construction zone accidents in the county
- In Florida, there are around 50 fatalities resulting from a construction zone accident
Causes Of Construction Zone Accidents
There are many causes of construction zone accidents. These causes can be broken down into two categories. The first, accidents that result from the road workers and engineers mismanaging the risks of a construction zone. The second category is accidents caused by poor driving:
Causes of accidents in mismanaged construction zones:
- Poor or inadequate notification and warning signage
- Bad road conditions including sharp pavement drops and loose asphalt or concrete
- Improper maintenance and direction of traffic
- Equipment malfunctions
- Missing barriers, guardrails, and dividers
- Inadequately lit work zones
- Negligence of road workers, engineers, and subcontractors
Causes of accidents from poor driving:
- Distracted driving including texting, alcohol abuse, and not paying attention
- Tailgating
- Improper or late lane changing and merging
- Speeding or disobeying the posted speed limit
- Not following the signs or directions of traffic controllers
Common Types Of Accidents In Work Zones
There are a number of accidents that can happen in work zones. Most commonly drivers hit fixed objects like barriers or signs. Other times, drivers will crash into other vehicles or cause pile ups during heavy traffic. Sadly, drivers sometimes also hit road workers directly. Since many things can go wrong at a construction site, it is crucial that you always exercise caution and safe driving when traveling through a work zone.
Construction Site Safety Tips
If you come across a construction zone this summer, it is important to remember these basic safety tips so you can avoid any unnecessary accidents:
- Pay attention to and follow all directions on posted signage
- Stay calm and focus on the driving
- Turn on your headlights to increase your visibility
- Drive the recommended speed limit or slower and do not resume normal speed until posted sign instructs you too
- Keep a safe stopping distance between you and the driver in front of you
- Never pass on the shoulder or the median
- Stay patient through delays
- Be aware of where maintenance workers are working
- Predict where machinery and equipment are going to go
- Expect the unexpected
It is also good to know how construction zones are laid out, so that when you are approaching one you know what to expect:
- Advanced Warning Area: This is the area before coming up to a construction zone. Usually there will be posted signage telling you when the construction begins, the length of delays, and where the construction ends.
- Transition Area: This is the area right before a construction zone where you will reduce your speed or merge lanes.
- Buffer Area: This is the buffer space between the transition area and where the workers are to give drivers time to correct their actions.
- Work Area: This is the area where the actual construction is happening.
- Termination Area: This is the area between the end of the construction zone and where drivers can resume normal activity.
If you follow these basic safety techniques, you will avoid accidents in construction zones. However, if you’ve been in injured in a construction zone as either a driver or a worker, contact the attorneys at All Injuries Law Firm. Our experienced law team can help you file a claim and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve from your accident.