Work Zone Driving Safety Tips

Almost everyday road construction is occurring somewhere. And with road construction comes "work zones", where construction workers are putting their lives on the line to work on our roads. It is imperative to remember how vulnerable these workers are to the passing vehicles.

Here's a few tips to help keep these workers are safe:

Start Slowing Down As soon As You See The Signs
As soon as you see the work zone signs you should start slowing down. As you get closer to the area where the road workers are, you want to go a speed where you can easily stop in the event of an emergency. Never Go full speed up to or in a work zone.

Watch For and Obey Workers
When you see a worker out on the road make sure you are going an appropriate speed. Also, you need to follow whatever instructions they are giving. If a man is directing traffic, he is doing it for a reason. By following his instructions, you are insuring everybody's safety.

Keep More Distance Between Your Car and Others
Ideally, you want to leave a car length for every 10 mph. So if the speed limit is 25 mph in a work zone, you want to make sure to have 2.5 times a car length in between you and the person in front of you. This allows you plenty of time to stop in the event the driver in front of you stops suddenly, or reverses.

Merge Early
Most work zones require you to merge into a single lane of traffic. When this occurs you are notified well in advance that the lane will be ending. At this time it's best to start merging into that lane. Do not wait until the last minute to get over, this by itself frequently leads to accidents.

Be Proactive
As in any driving situation, it's always good to be aware of your surroundings and adjust your driving accordingly.

For any insurance questions, please call Wessell Insurance Services, LLC 1-866-663-7561.