"One work zone fatality is one too many. We are continuing our efforts to educate motorists on the dangers of speed and distracted driving in work zones," said the Texas Transportation Commissioner, Fred Underwood. "Each of us has the power to protect lives as we drive. We just need to put our cell phones down, stop adjusting the radio and focus on driving safely."
Our Houston truck accident lawyers urge you to join the fight against work zone accidents and do your part to keep our roadways safe. Of the nearly 700 work zone motor-vehicle traffic deaths that were reported by the U.S. in 2009 to The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, Texas contributed approximately 100 of those fatalities. The United States experienced nearly 44,000 injures in these zone as Texas, again contributing nearly 10 percent of the nation's total. A large number of these fatalities involve trucking accidents -- either in the construction zone or as a result of a traffic backup leading to a road construction zone.
Texas has more than 1,000 road maintenance or construction projects underway at any given time. The constant lane changes, congested roads and lack of driving attention, all put motorists at high risk for accidents in areas of road construction. It is estimated that more than four out of five work zone deaths are caused by motorists traveling through these zones. More specifically, it is speeding and distracted driving that are the main contributors to these accidents. One in three of these incidents are reportedly rear-end collisions. Truckers, again, are involved in many of these accidents as they typically take longer to stop than average size motor vehicles. It is not uncommon for rear-end collisions to happen with these trucks.
The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse offers these tips to motorists passing through potentially dangerous work zones:
-Always obey posted road signs, flaggers and other instructional objects in these areas.
-Have patience. Delays are common in these areas and loosing your cool will do nothing to help the flow of traffic to move any faster. Getting aggravated will only lead to aggressive driving habits and put you at an increased risk for an accident.
-Avoid distracted driving at all costs. A driver that fails to put full attention on the road greatly increases the risk for an accident. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes for fatalities in these areas.
-Plan ahead. If you know you'll be passing through a work zone during your commute it is recommended that you leave earlier or plan to take an alternative route.
-Don't tailgate. Make sure to leave a safe distance between you and other objects occupying the roadways. This includes the car in front of you, zone workers and zone equipment.
For more information about work zone safety, you are invited to visit the TexDot Facebook page or listen to our TexDOT podcast.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a work zone accident in Houston or surrounding areas, contact The Joe Stevens Law Firm for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call (713) 224-0000.
sometimes, accidents that occur at work is caused of misfortune. In order to prevent it from occurring, the workplace should be safe not only for the employees but also for clients and visitors. but if you happen to suffer an accident at work that was not your fault, you can file for a work accident claims to cover the damage and cover the medical,trauma psychological, emotional treatment.
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