Car Accident Lawyer

For your safety and convenience, it is better to plan your driving route to avoid areas of road construction whenever possible. However, sometimes traveling through a work zone is necessary. In 2015, construction zone accidents were responsible for a total of 25,485 injuries. Fortunately, such accidents are avoidable if you follow certain safety tips.

1. Avoid Distractions

Distracted driving is dangerous in any situation, but it can be even worse in a construction zone when you and your car come in close proximity to construction workers, barriers, machinery, and other hazards. Keep the phone out of your hands, turn down the radio, and pay close attention to what is going on around you when driving in a work zone.

2. Watch Your Speed

A construction zone often has temporarily lower speed limits in place while the work is going on because there are so many hazards present that can be difficult to navigate safely at the regular speed. Observing the temporary speed limit not only helps you to avoid accidents, it also prevents you from paying the increased fines that are imposed as a deterrent to driving at unsafe speeds. Budget extra time to arrive at your destination so that you do not feel the pressure to exceed the speed limit.

3. Obey All Signals

These include not only the signs posted around the work zone, which are usually bright orange and diamond-shaped, but also the directions given by the flagger. A flagger has the same authority as a regulatory sign, which means that the consequences for disobeying his or her directions carries the same potential consequences of traffic citation.

4. Drive Defensively

One of the most common accidents to occur in a work zone is a rear-end collision. You can help to prevent this from happening by not following other vehicles too closely or trying to overdrive the conditions.

5. Expect the Unexpected

In a work zone, people and machinery may get closer to the road than you expect. By keeping your eyes on the road, your mind on the task at hand, and your speed at a reasonable level, you can give yourself sufficient time to react appropriately to any unforeseen circumstances.

Above all, try to be patient. Road construction is a minor inconvenience, but it is preferable to the alternative of decaying infrastructure that can cause unsafe road conditions. If you have been involved in a work zone accident despite your best efforts, contact a lawyer, like a car accident lawyer in Indianapolis, IN from Ward & Ward Law Firm today.