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## HOW TO DRIVE SAFELY IN WORK ZONES 

Areas where road work takes place are danger- ous to drive in -- and to work in. That is why when you speed in work zones, ticket fines double, even when the workers or work vehicles are not there. Expect to find a work zone wherever you drive – you may have to decrease speed quickly or even stop. Traffic lanes can shift or be com- pletely closed. Workers and work vehicles can be on or near your driving lane. When you drive in a work zone, make it safer because you know what to do. 

Orange signs in the shape of diamonds -- “work zone” warning signs – are often placed before road construction projects and other work areas that can change traffic flow. One sign can read: “flagger ahead.” A flagger is a worker who motions for you to stop, continue with caution or change lanes. A flagger has the same authority as a sign, which indicates you can receive a ticket for disobeying their directions. Decrease speed! Be Alert! Obey the signs! 

## Work Zone Tips: 

• Some signs can indicate a detour that allows you to avoid the work zone. If you know where a work zone is ahead, you should try to use a different route. 

• As you enter a work zone, flashing signs or signs with arrows or signs that warn “lane closed ahead” mean you should merge your vehicle into the correct lane when it is safe. Do not speed to the end of the closed lane and try to get into the other lane. If you move to the correct lane at first notice, you will drive in a calmer, more efficient, and safe manner. 

• Decrease your speed when a sign indicates: “Road Work 1,500 feet,” that means your car, with a speed of 60 miles per hour, will get there in 17 seconds. 

• The rear-end collision is the most com- mon crash in a work zone. To avoid being involved in one, it helps to keep a braking distance of two seconds or more between 

you and the vehicle in front of you. (See “Allowing Yourself Space,” earlier in this chapter) Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and traffic barriers, trucks, construc- tion equipment and workers. 

• Some work zones are not stationary, like when workers paint lines, patch roads or mow. In these cases the size and/or location of the work zones may change. As work pro- gresses, the work zone size may increase, decrease, or move to different sections of the roadway. Workers can be close even if you do not see them immediately after the warning signs. Obey the signs until you pass the one that states the work zone has ended. 

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