Earlier this month, Georgia officials joined hands with the Federal Highway Administration, OSHA, and various other local organizations to mark National Work Zone Awareness Week.
Using the slogan Work Zone Safety Is In Your Hands, this year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week aimed at educating construction workers about staying safe when in a zone, and encouraging motorists to be more careful when they travel through these areas. Across Georgia, special safety stand-down events were conducted at work zone sites. These events encouraged employers to halt work across construction sites for one hour to pay special attention to safety practices at their construction sites. Employers used the hour to review safety practices currently in place, and to discuss potential hazards that continued to pose a safety risk to workers.
National Work Zone Awareness Week is designed to bring attention to the safety of not just construction workers in these zones, but also motorists who are traveling through these areas. Accidents that occur at construction work zones often result in serious injuries or death.
According to the federal agencies, in 2015, there were a total of 700 fatalities in work zone accidents. Out of these, 110 involved motorists and passengers, while 586 involved pedestrians and bicyclists. An overwhelming majority or 84% of the fatalities involved motor vehicles, while a quarter of them involved large trucks and buses. There were a total of 130 construction worker fatalities in these road construction sites.
Most work zone accidents, however, are entirely preventable. The next time you pass through a work zone, slow down. Speed limits are lower in these zones, and are often posted both at the entry and exit points. Watch out for these, and adjust your speed accordingly.
Eliminate all distractions by switching off your cell phone, turning off the radio, and focusing on carefully driving through the work zone. Remember, a work zone is typically strewn with debris and construction equipment, and also frequently have large trucks entering and exiting travel lanes. Take utmost care to avoid these.
Construction highway workers in Georgia place their lives and safety at risk to make sure that you travel safely and comfortably. Our Atlanta construction accident lawyers believe that driving in a manner that ensures they go home safe each night is our duty.