Work zones on roadways are a danger for motorists and construction workers alike. Unknown and unfamiliar variables can lead to accidents causing serious or deadly injuries.
To help promote National Work Zone Awareness Week, the Fort Worth car accident attorneys of Anderson & Cummings have compiled a list of safety tips to help you travel safely through construction zones. If you were injured in a work zone car accident, contact us for a free, no obligation consultation.
Call (817) 920-9000 today to schedule a consultation with a skilled lawyer.
Work Zone Safety Tips
To help protect yourself, your passengers, other motorists and construction workers, follow these safety tips when traveling near and through work zones:
- Stay alert. Weather conditions and the actions of other motorists and construction workers are unpredictable. Stay focused on the roadway at all times.
- Turn on your headlights to improve visibility to all.
- Decrease your speed when you first see warning signs and flagger signs.
- Always obey the directions of a flagger in a work zone – he or she has the same authority as any sign regulating traffic movement.
- Merge as soon as you begin to see merge signs. Yellow arrows indicating the need to merge are posted well before the construction zone starts. If all drivers merge as soon as possible, traffic will flow more efficiently and the likelihood of collisions will decrease.
- Leave a minimum of two seconds between you and other vehicles to give yourself time to brake. Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, trucks and construction barriers.
- Always follow signs posted indicating work zones. Just because you do not see workers present does not mean you can disobey work zone signs – they are posted for everyone’s safety.
- Always wear your seat belt when driving, especially in a work zone.
- Check your route before you travel to see if you will encounter work zones. Obtain the latest traffic information that will allow you to plan an alternate route ahead of time, if needed.
- Only change lanes in a work zone when it is indicated by pavement markings, and when it is safe to do so.
Work Zone Accident Statistics
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, there were approximately 96,626 accidents in work zones during 2015. This is a 7.8 percent increase over 2014, and a whopping 42 percent increase since 2013.
Other sobering facts include the following:
- Work zone crashes occur every 5.4 minutes.
- About 26.4 percent of these accidents cause injury.
- Approximately 0.7 percent of workplace accidents cause at least one fatality.
- Drivers and passengers accounted for 635 work zone accident fatalities in 2016. Additionally, 125 fatalities were bicyclists and pedestrians, and 143 were workers.
- About 4,400 people have lost their lives in work zone accidents over the past five years, and 200,000 people were injured.
Fatal accidents in work zones are most likely to happen in the summer or fall. Rear-end collisions are the most common type of accident occurring in work zones. Most work zone accidents occur on roads whose regular speed limits are over 50 mph.
Contact a Skilled Lawyer for Help
If you or someone you love was injured in a work zone car accident, the personal injury attorneys Fort Worth, TX at Anderson Cummings are ready to assist you. We will review your case and help you pursue maximum compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Request a free, no obligation consultation now and learn what legal options are available for recovering compensation in your case. We work on contingency, so there are no upfront fees. Legal fees are only owed if we help you recover compensation for your losses.
Call (817) 920-9000 or fill out our Free Case Evaluation form today.