Safe Driving Around Construction Zones

FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT

Safe Driving Around Construction Zones

By Don Biggerstaff, Professional Driver, ABF Freight; America’s Road Team Captain

If you are one of the 218 million licensed drivers that travel our nation’s roads and highways for work, pleasure or just the essentials of life, you have encountered a construction zone. These zones can add time to your trip, cause delays and test your patience, which is why drivers need to have an extra level of concentration in these areas. However, they are necessary to our infrastructure and ability to travel freely around our great nation with as much ease as possible.

Safety in a work zone starts before you get to one because they, at times, can cause long traffic back-ups, creating hazardous conditions. When traveling, be observant for signs alerting you of work zones ahead because traffic could be stopped at any point moving forward. Work zone accidents occur not only in the zone itself, but also in the traffic back-ups leading up to the construction area.

When entering the construction zone, pay attention to all posted signs as they will help inform and guide you through the zone. You will normally encounter reduced speeds, rough or uneven pavement, narrowed lanes and/or lane changes. It is vital for you to be on high alert for any of these conditions and not to speed or rush through the construction zone.

When driving my tractor trailer through a construction zone, the speed that is posted is sometimes too fast for me to feel comfortable, so I slow down to a rate that feels safer for me and my vehicle. Use good judgment and keep a firm grip on the steering wheel. It is okay to go slower than asked so that everyone in and out of your vehicle remains safe. If possible, stay a little to the far side of the road away from the workers.

The key to safe travels in a work zone is being alert and not getting distracted by anything because conditions can change quickly. At night, the glare of work zone lights can be bright and cause difficulty seeing.

When entering a construction zone, my first thought is of the workers. I often think about how the people who work at these sites must have nerves of steel to do this job. In some instances, workers can be only a couple of feet away from your vehicle or my vehicle, which may weigh 80,000 pounds and be traveling at a speed of 45 to 55 miles per hour. I have the utmost respect for these workers and what they do. They work in the heat of the day, in the cold, at night and around the clock to make highway conditions better for all of us. This is one of the reasons that educating the public on highway safety is extremely important. People mostly think of vehicles on the highways, but these workers are essential to highway safety and are relying on us as drivers to keep them safe while they work.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, from 1982 to 2017, 27,037 people lost their lives in work zone areas. Most, if not all, of these deaths could have been prevented. It is necessary for these workers to be there, doing a dangerous job that will make it better for us all to commute in the long run, and it’s necessary for us to give them the ability to do so safely.

For your safety and theirs, slow down, concentrate, stay alert and don’t be distracted. Be thankful for those workers who will make your drive a much more enjoyable experience. Stay safe and enjoy the ride. n