As crews from electric companies work to restore power, many of these jobs will require working in the streets – meaning detours, lane closures and alternating traffic patterns, setting up work zone traffic control points, etc. During the past 5 years in work zone crashes more than 4,400 persons died (85 percent of which was the driver or passenger) and 200,000 persons were injured. According to statistics, work zone accidents are far more deadly for motorists and their passengers
That’s why it’s especially important to pay attention to cones, flares, barricades and other warning devices that mark a work zone. To ensure public safety and the safety of its workforce, motorists should exercise caution while passing through work zones.
Here are a few work zone driving tips from the American Society of Safety Engineers:
• Drive carefully and slowly through the construction site.
• Keep an eye out for workers, their equipment and their vehicles.
• Pay close attention and follow directions on work zone signs and traffic instructions from flaggers or workers.
• Watch for stopped or slowing traffic. Do not tailgate.
• Stay in your lane. Keep track of warning flares, cones and barricades that mark the work zone. Do not drive over flares or cones, and do not attempt to move barricades.
• Do not pull out of your lane into oncoming traffic in an attempt to bypass work zone traffic.
• Do not resume your normal speed until you completely exit the work zone area.
• Use extra caution when driving through a work zone at night.