Work zones are necessary for the maintenance of our nation’s highways. Because they disrupt traffic, the potential for accidents is great. Highway speeds abruptly slow to a crawl, traffic merges into fewer lanes, and barriers, construction equipment, and workers are seen on either side as you squeeze through one or two lanes that have no shoulders. With this seeming confusion going on, it’s no surprise that work zones are often the scene of many auto and trucking accidents. Work zone accidents include:
- Rear-end collisions caused by traffic suddenly slowing or stopping.
- T-bone collisions with construction crew pulling into traffic in their cars and road construction vehicles.
- Collisions with objects such as barriers and construction equipment because of excessive speed.
- Side swipe collisions with cars or trucks while merging into fewer lanes.
As providers of commercial or owner operator truck insurance in Florida, we recommend using these safety tips for driving through work zones:
Avoid Work Zones Whenever Possible
The best way a commercial or owner operator truck driver can protect himself from the dangers of work zones is avoiding them in the first place. Make use of the online notices and phone numbers provided by highway agencies to learn where construction work will occur and plan your route accordingly. These agencies often provide detour routing suggestions.
Allow Plenty of Open Space in Front of Your Commercial or Owner Operator Truck
Traffic slow downs often occur abruptly as motorists put off braking until the last moment. You can be driving at 65 mph and suddenly come upon stopped traffic well before you see the work zone warning signs. Lots of open space is also necessary in the work zone lane merging areas.
Merge Out of Closed Lanes as Soon as Possible
Use your height advantage to spot work zones well in advance and position your commercial or owner operator truck into an open lane as soon as possible. Merging while stopped at the lane closure point is difficult because of traffic moving through your blind spot.
Pay Attention and Slow down When Signs Tell You To
Slow down even if other motorists aren’t. At some point further ahead, they will do so more abruptly. Hard braking is something your big rig cannot duplicate.
If you are looking for commercial or owner operator truck insurance in Florida with affordable rates, contact us at J.E.B. Insurance Services, LLC.
