Even if you plan in advance to avoid driving through work zones, you could still find yourself going through one. Doing so takes extra caution, as you want to keep yourself and others as safe as possible.
Here are several things you must do as you enter a work zone:
- Slow down. Pay attention to the posted speed limit, as it’s likely to be slower than what you experienced leading up to the work zone. If you do nothing else, slowing down your vehicle is the best way to avoid a crash.
- Prepare for anything. Things change in a hurry in a work zone. For example, lanes can merge or workers can appear on the shoulder of the road.
- Watch for flaggers. Depending on the type of work zone, there may be flaggers telling you what to do. Follow their instructions carefully, as you don’t want to do something that increases the risk of a crash.
- Leave a greater following distance. Rear-end collisions are common in work zones, as it’s easy to drive too closely to the vehicle ahead of yours.
If you do these things when driving into a work zone, you’ll find it easier to keep yourself and others safer.
In the event of a work zone accident where your vehicle is struck from behind, pull to the side of the road if this is possible. From there, check yourself for injuries and call 911.
As you recover, consult with your insurance company on the next steps in the claims process. Also, learn more about what you can do to hold the other driver responsible for their actions that caused the crash.