Why You Should Watch Out For Road Construction Zones In Ft Myers
Brian O Sutter
Traffic Accidents
Other vehicles and pedestrians are not always the reason behind car accidents in the busy city of Fort Myers. Ongoing road repairs and construction zones also pose a danger to passing cars. You will encounter these on the highway from time to time as roads also tend to get damaged after years of being weathered down. However, even if a road repair is a normal sight, you should still be alert and cautious when driving by. Just what kinds of danger do road construction zones pose to vehicles? Here are 5 of them.
• Concrete Barriers, Fences, And Traffic Cones - Putting barriers around the repair site helps prevent cars from using a portion of the road that is meant for or currently undergoing repairs.
While it protects you from driving over faulty roads, these barricades also attract chances of collision as they are often placed in the middle of the highway. Without proper lighting, it may be hard to spot them, making it extra dangerous to drive by when it is nighttime.
• Big Potholes, Bumps, And Cracks - The area around road construction zones can be generally uneven and littered with cracks and potholes. When it rains, these holes get filled up with water, and is therefore difficult to see or determine how deep it is. If vehicles drive over these uneven road hazards, they can be caught off guard and momentarily lose control of their vehicle.
The potholes, cracks, and uneven surfaces are especially dangerous to motorcycle riders as they can fall on the side or topple over. Nevertheless, the best way to deal with potholes and the like is to drive slowly and carefully as you pass over them.
• Narrower Roads - When the damage is big, construction zones tend to occupy more areas on the road, and vehicles are left with a single, narrow lane to pass through. Large vehicles like trucks and SUVs might even be inclined to find a detour as it may be impossible for them to pass. Infrastructure can also be found left and right, increasing the chance of bumping against a barricade, equipment, or metal frames.
• Unreadable Caution Signs - Putting up warning signs is very important, but sometimes, these signs are hard to read, notice, or understand. The lack of warning will cause unpreparedness and drivers might drive recklessly, not knowing the risks and hazards. This is also a problem at night where most warning signs tend to be simple, unlit posters that cannot be read when it is dark.
The management behind road construction projects has a responsibility to inform motorists of the ongoing repairs, and that includes making visible and noticeable warning signs. Failure in doing so can hold them liable for any auto accidents that might happen.
Road repairs can take a long time, depending on the extent of the damage. If you are not willing to risk it, it is always better to find another safer way to drive on. When you get caught in an accident, immediately seek medical help and contact an auto accident lawyer to help you.