Safety Tip of the Month: Stay Safe in Construction Zones

Poor road conditions, rapidly changing traffic flows, and frustrated, impatient motorists combine to make construction zones one of the most hazardous environments you will ever encounter on the road. As a professional driver, you should take the following steps (FACT) to help ensure a safe trip through construction zones:

Focus: Double or triple check your mirrors to be aware of the traffic around you and always keep track of what’s happening directly in front of your truck. Maintain a safe following distance. Use the Smith System seven-second rule and “leave yourself an out.” Be patient. Pick a lane and stay in it.

Anticipate: Expect and anticipate unusual behavior from motorists. They are probably frustrated, confused and cannot see what is ahead as well as you can. Expect sudden stops and slowdowns. Don’t get caught in a tight spot with no way out. Use the Smith System Key # 1 and “aim high in steering.”

Correct: Do not race for position when approaching a construction zone. Don’t speed up after the construction zone to make up for lost time. Use your flashers in advance of reaching stopped traffic or when approaching slower traffic ahead of you. If a motorist does cut you off or cuts in front of you, make the necessary correction to regain a safe and proper following distance.

Talk: Speak with your co-workers and discuss specific construction zone locations and highways that may be regularly traveled by others in the same fleet. There may be alternate routes that can be considered to reduce delays.

When road construction closes one or more lanes, traffic becomes congested, patience and tempers run short, and many motorists do not wish to follow a truck through the construction zone. Be on the alert for motorists making erratic lane changes, driving on the shoulder, and speeding down the ending lane right up to the barricades to try to cut in. As disturbing as some of these actions may be, professional drivers must be aware of the traffic around them and not get involved in a collision.

As always, watch signs and be safe and alert.