From The Trussville Tribune staff reports.
MONTGOMERY — April 8 – 12 is Support Work Zone Awareness Week and the Alabama Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to be careful.
In 2017, there were 3,158 work zone crashes in Alabama, resulting in 31 fatalities and 963 injuries. This is an increase compared to 2016, when there were 2,962 work zone crashes, resulting in 19 fatalities and 954 injuries. In the United States, 799 people died in roadway work zone crashes in 2017, up two percent from the previous year. ALDOT is reminding motorists to slow down and stay alert in work zones.
ALDOT offers these tips for driving safely in work zones:
- Know before you go. Check ALGOTraffic.com to find out if there are construction work zones along your path and allow extra time to navigate those areas.
- Drive alert. Don’t drive distracted by texting, eating or other activities that take your hands off the wheel. Look for highway workers, reduced speed limits and narrow driving lanes.
- Slow down. Don’t drive beyond the posted speed limit through the work zone. Keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you.
- Don’t tailgate and watch for large trucks. Maintain a safe distance on all sides of your vehicle, so that you don’t clip a nearby vehicle and both end up crashing in the work zone. Don’t make sudden lane changes in front of large trucks that often can’t stop quickly.
