It’s Work Zone Awareness Week. This week is the start of an annual spring campaign scheduled for the start of construction season aimed at encouraging safe driving through highway work zones to reduce the risk of work zone accidents. The main message of the campaign is that drivers should use extra caution in work zones because these areas can be hazardous to both drivers and workers.
How many people are injured or killed in work zone accidents each year?
According to the Federal Highway Administration, 29,493 people (about 776 per year) lost their lives in work zone crashes between 1982 and 2020. The NSC reports that 857 people were killed and 44,240 people were injured in work zone crashes in 2020.
The most common types of construction zone accidents are:
- Rear-end accidents
- Chain reaction accidents involving multiple vehicles
- Single-vehicle accidents from crashing into obstacles such as cones and work vehicles
- Swerving into another vehicle while trying to avoid an obstacle
- Hit by construction vehicle
Safe driving in work zones
There are many common causes of construction zone accidents, including bottlenecking traffic, drivers getting confused by detours, construction vehicle blind spots, and sudden merging. Most work zone accidents are preventable when reasonable safety precautions are taken:
- Slow down. When you see work zone signs ahead, it’s time to slow down. Speeding is one of the top causes of work zone crashes.
- Obey the signs and flaggers. Follow all signs and signals in the work zone, and obey the instructions of flaggers – they are there to help you navigate the work zone safely.
- Pay attention. Keep your eyes on the road and be aware of workers and equipment in the work zone. You will need to be fully alert to safely navigate lane shifts, narrow lanes, detours, and changes in traffic patterns.
- Avoid distractions. Avoid distractions of any kind while you are navigating a work zone. Don’t use your phone, eat, drink, or engage in other distracting activities while driving through a work zone. Stay focused on the task of driving.
- Merge early. If you see that a lane is closed ahead, merge as soon as possible. Waiting until the last minute to merge can cause backups and increase the risk of a crash.
- Keep a safe distance. Knowing that rear-end collisions are common in work zones, it’s important to maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle ahead of you. This way, you can avoid a crash if the vehicle in front of you stops suddenly.
- Keep your cool. No one likes dealing with slowdowns when they need to get somewhere, but it’s important to stay calm and exercise patience to avoid a road rage situation.
If you or a loved one was injured in a work zone accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses and injuries, including medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, disability, and more. A car accident lawyer is especially helpful for work zone accident claims as there are particular liability issues that come up in this type of car accident. Learn more about how to get fair compensation for work zone accidents in our blog post: https://www.tariolaw.com/how-to-get-compensation-for-your-construction-zone-accident/
Seek the help of a car accident attorney
If you or a loved one was injured because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced car accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
