You may not see road construction as much during the winter months as during the spring and summer, but it’s important for roads and highways to stay in good repair no matter the weather. In fact, road construction zones can be even more dangerous in Massachusetts over the next few weeks, due to the weather and because you may encounter road crews when you didn’t expect them. At Finbury & Sullivan, P.C., we have seen numerous cases in which motorists were injured in work zone crashes.
According to State Farm, at least 40,000 people are injured annually throughout the country in work zone accidents. Most of these involved drivers and passengers in construction zone crashes. It can be easy for distracted, intoxicated or careless drivers to fail to notice reduced speed signs or stalled highway traffic and plow into other vehicles. In fact, the most common type of crash you can face in a work zone is the highly dangerous rear-end collision.
Truck drivers, either commercial freight haulers or construction truckers, are particularly dangerous in work zones where traffic has slowed down, especially if they are fatigued. Additionally, some drivers can become impatient during reduced work zone speed limits or congested traffic, and may try to speed through or swerve around other vehicles. Road debris also presents a risk in construction zones and can include construction materials, construction waste dropped by haulers, tire treads and auto parts.
You can reduce your chances of getting into a serious accident by being aware of traffic conditions and driving courteously through work zones. However, you can’t always predict an accident or control how others drive. For more information, visit our page on work zone accidents.