As we mentioned in our last blog it is the 13th annual National Work Zone Awareness Week. The week began with the US Department of Transportation kicking off an event on Route 141 in Chesterfield, Missouri.
In Texas, the message “Don’t Barrel Through Work Zones” is being reinforced a number of ways, including by providing several safety tips to drivers across the state of Texas.
Construction season results in more than 1,000 established work zones statewide, so drivers everywhere are sure to encounter a work zone at some point. When approaching, one important safety tip to keep in mind is to slow down. Speeding is a major cause of work zone car accidents and fines in work zones are double for offenders. Be alert to what’s going on all around the car, not just to the front and rear vehicles. Workers and their equipment often are just a few feet to the sides of vehicles passing through work zones.
It also helps to take a deep breath and relax when bumper to bumper in a work zone. Everybody will eventually get to where they’re going. Finally, it helps to plan for the inevitable slowdown by leaving a bit earlier when a work zone is known to be established on the driving route.
Source: Texas Department of Transportation, “Safety Tips – Work Zones.”