August is the peak of road construction season for the Alabama Department of Transportation. Night and day, road crews are working alongside traffic, which makes it even more important for drivers to slow down and pay attention.
Women and men are putting their lives on the line to make Alabama roads safer and to build new roads to support Alabama’s economic development.
Crashes in work zones often result in serious injuries and sometimes death for both the workers and motorists. National statistics show that four out of every five of those killed are motorists. Although, when workers are present, workers are the most vulnerable to injury and death. Most work zone crashes are rear-end collisions, resulting from speeding or distractions such as cell phones.
“Tragic loss of life that happens each year in work zones can be avoided,” said Allison Green, ALDOT Drive Safe Alabama coordinator. “ALDOT is asking drivers to be alert and slow down, so that those working along the roadway and drivers and their passengers can all get home safely.”
Here are three ways drivers can navigate work zones safely.
Pay Attention and Move Over: Keep your eyes on the road and watch for signs indicating reduced speeds, lane changes and other important information. Avoid distractions like cell phones or adjusting the radio. As soon as you see lights, vests or reflectors, check traffic around you, SLOW DOWN and MOVE OVER if safe to do so. The Alabama Move Over Law is in place to protect the people working along the roadway.
Follow Reduced Speed Limits: Slow down and follow the posted speed limits within the work zone. Speeding is one of the leading causes of crashes in work zones.
Expect the Unexpected: Be prepared for lane shifts, uneven road surfaces, or people or equipment entering and exiting the work area. Stay focused and anticipate changes in traffic patterns.
Before heading out, motorists can find updates on road conditions and construction projects on ALGOtraffic.com or the ALGOtraffic phone app. If possible, drivers can plan their route to avoid heavily congested work zones.
