How you drive keeps you alive.
That adage seems so obvious as to almost not be worth repeating. Nonetheless, the Ohio Department of Transportation (“ODOT”) wants it reiterated loudly and clearly and to remain firmly in the minds of Ohio drivers, especially as they travel through roadway work zones and construction projects.
Many motorists might think that the chance of a car accident or other motor vehicle mishap in a work zone increases exponentially as the weather turns progressively worse, i.e., watch out especially in wintry months, with slippery conditions marked by low visibility, high winds and other adverse weather factors.
Not so, say ODOT spokespersons. In fact, and although drivers should obviously be paying close attention to the road at all times, they should be exercising maximum caution in construction areas at times when the weather is at its best. Think a warm, dry and sunny August afternoon, since that presents the time frame and conditions under which it is most likely for an Ohio driver to either die or be severely injured in a crash.
The ODOT is quite sure of that assessment, having looked closely at 10 years of accident statistics. Summer is bad. Overall, the rate of death and injury for motorists in work zones is never good: Last year, for example, there were 10 fatalities in Ohio and over 1,200 injuries in more than 5,000 work zone crashes.
So, take care, say ODOT safety experts, and pay special attention in a work project area to keeping a safe distance behind other vehicles and avoiding lane changes if at all possible.
Once again: How you drive keeps you alive.
Related Resource: www.tcnewsnet.com “Drivers take precaution when driving through interstate work zones” April 1, 2011