Road construction in Kentucky is operating at full power, and drivers need to be aware that construction zones present increased risk for construction workers and motorists alike. Unfortunately, motor vehicle accidents are common in construction zones despite the abundance of caution signs and decreased speed limits.
Ironically, road construction projects that frequently are designed to increase traveler safety create hazards of their own while the work is being completed. Distracted driving, narrow lanes and excessive speeds contribute to these accidents.
Drive aware
Everyone needs to be on higher alert in construction zones – motorists, construction workers using machinery and workers on foot who are controlling traffic. Construction zones can create long delays, which cause some motorists to become impatient and drive carelessly. Rear-end accidents are common in construction zones because some drivers follow traffic in front of them too closely.
It’s important to note that some construction zone accidents are the result of poor construction zone management on the part of a construction company. These companies have a duty to make the construction site safe for their workers as well as for motorists. Examples of how construction companies fall short of this responsibility include:
• Creating hazards by forcing motorists to make sudden or dangerous maneuvers
• Failing to provide clear and early warning signs
• Failing to provide obvious and clear detour directions and signs
• Operating construction equipment that interferes with vehicle traffic
• Placing signs, barricades or other structures too close to moving traffic
• Errors by flag workers who are controlling the flow of traffic
Know your rights if you are injured
Those who are injured due to the negligence of another driver should enlist the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer to help them maximize the amount they recover. These cases are complex and may have more than one party that should be named in an injury lawsuit.
— On behalf of Mark Knight Attorney at Law