More than 40,000 construction zone accidents occur nationwide, many of which occur because motorists are speeding through areas with reduced speed limits. Ohio is no exception as hundreds of these accidents occur each year, resulting in serious injury, primarily to construction zone workers.
Fatalities increase in construction zones
Whenever road work occurs, especially on highways with high traffic speeds, construction zone vehicle accidents increase. Many result in fatalities. Whenever accidents occur in these zones, fines are higher and penalties are more severe.
You can protect yourself and your passengers wherever you enter a construction zone by following these safety tips:
- Remain alert
- Pay attention to work zone flaggers and signs
- Turn on headlights so workers and other vehicles on the site can see you
- Leave plenty of room in front of you to prevent accidents from sudden stops
- Do not speed but go with the traffic flow
- Remain in your lane
- Anticipate the unexpected
- Minimize in-vehicle distractions
- Pay attention to workers and their equipment
Following these tips can help minimize work zone traffic accidents, but they may not always prevent them.
Are drivers always at fault in work zone accidents?
So much attention has been placed on speeding and careless driving in work zones that we tend to think that drivers are always at fault in serious work zone accidents. Such is not always the case as conditions within the construction area may be at fault.
Factors like machinery blocking the roadway, uneven pavement, inadequate lighting, no signage, absence of flaggers, missing lane lines and more can cause serious mishaps. If you have been injured in an accident where you were driving a vehicle and one or more of these conditions were present, you may be able to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for the losses that you sustained.