Are highway construction zones death traps?

Some drivers don’t see a highway construction zone because they “see red” when they encounter one.  Anger may be a natural response to delays on the highway. But wise drivers go on red alert at the sight of an orange traffic cone. Construction zones kill more frequently than drivers realize. The design and set up of a highway construction zone is complicated. There are plenty of chances for error in the planning that it takes to get drivers safely though them. The zones are a potential death trap if construction company managers and supervisors make mistakes in that planning. In 2004, the Federal Highway Administration reported that 1,000 people across the U.S. were killed in construction zones, prompting the federal agency to call for changes in the way the zones are managed. But the death rate remains high.

A lot can go wrong in a work zone

Flaggers who order drivers to stop or proceed through the work zone may not be properly trained. As a result, drivers can collide with dump trucks carrying construction material or heavy machinery used in road construction. Routes through the zone can change overnight as construction progresses. Signs to warn drivers may not be moved as often they should be. Lane closures, lane shifts, detours, shoulder work and median crossovers are a few of the changes drivers can face from one day to the next. Orange traffic cones may not provide enough “taper length” to merge traffic successfully. Warning devices and concrete barriers may not be consistent throughout the work zone, a situation that could confuse drivers. Electronic warning devices can malfunction.

Night driving in work zones is even more dangerous

At night, construction zones may not be properly marked. Reflective devices may be dirty, reducing their ability to shine in a car’s headlights, leaving drivers with little illumination to help them navigate detours in the dark. If the devices are clean, they may be too far apart. Entrances and exits to highways and freeways may not be properly marked, causing drivers to veer off unexpectedly into construction zones.  And bad weather can complicate traveling through a highway construction zone.

Trucks are biggest danger in work zones

Big trucks account for most of the accidents in a construction work zone. Rear end collisions are common. Statistics compiled by the federal government show that 40, 000 people nationwide are injured in work zone accidents each year. Of the 1,074 work zone fatalities in 2005, 235 occurred in crashes involving large trucks. While construction workers also die in accidents, the 2008 statistics show that 85 per cent of those killed in a work zone accident were drivers or occupants of their cars.

Drivers who end up in a highway construction zone accident may well have a case against the construction company given the number of ways that it can fail to provide adequate protection for motorists, construction workers, workers driving dump trucks and construction machinery and the drivers of 18 wheelers. An accident lawyer may be needed.  A personal injury lawyer is the best gauge of liability in cases with so many potential opportunities for recovery.

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