How to Drive Safely in a Work Zone
With the summer months fast approaching, we will be seeing more and more construction beginning on the roads. With construction often comes increased traffic and increased danger to both drivers and those performing the road work. Everyone’s goal is to get to their destination or home from work safely, so it is important to practice vigilant safety when driving in these construction areas. Here are some tips to help keep you, other drivers, and construction workers safe while you’re driving in a work zone.
Leave Enough Space
When driving through a work zone, it is important to leave enough room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. Make sure to count at least two seconds between the time the car in front has passed a standing object and the time your car passes it – this is a good distance to stay back and prevent rear-end collisions in dangerous places to be stopped.
Don’t Pass
While it may be tempting to drive up the shoulder or quickly cross over the median to get around other drivers, do not do it! Driving on the shoulder and moving off the road puts construction workers and other drivers in danger, not to mention crossing the median could cause a head-on collision. Make sure to maintain proper distance from construction workers.
Take it Slow
We have all seen those signs telling us to reduce our speed when entering a work zone, and these signs are posted for good reason. Make sure to slow down to the suggested speed or just slow down if a reduced speed is not posted. Driving more slowly gives you time to react should something occur.
Additionally, it is important to not resume the normal speed until you see a sign saying it. Often times, you will not see construction after you have gone through a work zone, so you will speed up – chances are there is more work going on down the road, and of course going too quickly in these areas is dangerous.
Stay Calm
Driving through construction and work zones can sometimes be stressful, but it is important to stay calm and be alert when driving through these areas. This is an important time to reduce or eliminate distractions and not rush – although this may be an inconvenience, it is important to put safety first for both yourself, other drivers, and the workers on the road. Make sure to plan ahead and expect delays.
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