Work Zone Accidents: The Risks for Car Accidents

As soon as the weather starts to warm up, it’s only a matter of time before Michigan drivers start seeing signs of road work. Maybe it’s orange barrels being lined up next to a road or messages alerting drivers to upcoming road closures, but road construction is an inevitable part of the spring and summer seasons here in Michigan.

Even though road construction is necessary, that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. If construction is happening on a road you often need to drive on, it can be extremely disruptive to your day-to-day life. Plus the commotion road construction causes can also potentially lead to car crashes. In some cases, these accidents directly involve construction workers or heavy construction equipment, but not always. Here are some other factors that can increase the risk of car accidents in work zones.

Driver Confusion

In a perfect world, drivers would always be able to know ahead of time that a road they’re planning to drive on is going to be under construction before they leave. That way, they’d have plenty of time to find an alternate route or at least know to be on alert for people working on the road. But that simply isn’t how it works a lot of the time.

Very often, people find themselves trying to navigate road construction that they weren’t expecting at all and road construction can be difficult enough to navigate even when you know it’s coming. Detours can leave people feeling confused about where they’re going. Sometimes, it can be difficult to see exactly where you need to be when trying to drive through a road full of orange barrels. These sorts of factors can make it more likely that drivers will stop suddenly or otherwise act unpredictably, leading to a car accident.

Narrowing Lanes

Sometimes, road construction means that lanes of traffic need to be narrowed. When this happens, it can result in sideswipe car accidents if drivers aren’t careful. When people are familiar with driving through an area, they often have a tendency to zone out and not be as attentive to their surroundings as they should be. Adding narrowed lanes to the mix make it easy for an inattentive driver to scrape against another vehicle or an object.

Driver Distraction

Speaking of inattentive drivers, distracted driving is one of the most common causes of work zone accidents. Distracted driving is extremely dangerous even when roads aren’t being worked on. But when you add in things like the presence of construction workers, construction equipment, and other drivers who may stop suddenly, distracted driving can easily cause a work zone accident.

Potential for Tire Damage

Road construction is often a very messy job and it’s not at all uncommon to find things like screws, nails, and other sharp items on the ground in work zones. Unfortunately, this also means that it’s very easy for cars to suddenly end up with tire damage. In a situation like this, hopefully a driver will be able to get their car to safety before the tire goes completely flat. But if the damage is severe enough to cause a tire blowout, it can be much tougher for the driver to do that.

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, regardless of where it occurred, you need a car accident lawyer on your side who can work to protect your best interests. At Goodwin & Scieszka, we have decades of experience helping the victims of Michigan car accidents and fighting for them to get the no-fault benefits they need. Contact us today for help with your case.

Image: iStock / catnap72