Drivers should follow these tips when driving through construction and work zones to ensure everyone stays safe.

Nobody particularly likes driving through work zones, but taking care while sharing the road requires that drivers follow traffic and work zone rules so workers and drivers get home safely at the end of the day. At Tucker Paving, we are committed to on-the-job safety, and that includes situations when a job site includes road work.

According to a brochure by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), drivers account for 85% of fatalities in work zone crashes. In short, drivers have their own safety as well as the safety of work zone crews to consider when driving in a work zone. Follow these tips whenever you are driving through a construction work zone.

Top Safe Driving Tips for Work Zones

  1. Stay alert. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by a cellphone, food, the radio, or passengers. Road work zones often include crew members working just a few feet from the roadway, construction equipment or vehicles that could suddenly enter the roadway, abrupt lane changes or closures, stop-and-go traffic, and more. Keeping your focus completely on the road is of the utmost importance.
  2. Follow road work signs and speed limits. You must obey posted signs in work zones, from slower speed limits to lane closures, or face the danger of a ticket with a hefty fine.
  3. Don’t tailgate. Rear-end crashes are the most common type of work zone accident on the road, according to FHWA statistics. Leave enough room between your vehicle and the one in front of you. It takes 300 feet of dry roadway for the average vehicle to go from 50 mph to a complete stop. That time is even greater if the road is wet or icy.

Many states have “move over laws” that require drivers to move a lane over and/or slow down if an emergency vehicle with flashing lights is present on the side of the road. In many of these states, this law covers municipal vehicles, utility vehicles, and Department of Transportation vehicles that have their flashing lights turned on.

At Tucker Paving, safety is our first concern, so we act accordingly, both as drivers on the road and road construction workers.