AAA Reminds Motorists to Drive with Caution When Approaching and Traveling Through Work Zones

NEWS from AAA Oklahoma, April 19 – Today marks the start of National Work Zone Awareness Week and AAA urges motorists to use caution and drive safely when approaching and driving through work zones. Most people injured or killed in work zone crashes – approximately four out of every five – are drivers or passengers.

In 2009, there were 1,278 collisions in Oklahoma roadway work zones resulting in 767 injuries and 17 deaths, the highest number of deaths since 2002, when 21 were killed.

One very real factor in many work zone-related crashes is distraction.

Thirty-five percent of drivers say they feel less safe on the highway than they did five years ago, according to the 2009 Traffic Safety Culture Index released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Overall, the majority of American motorists said they feel no safer now than they did five years ago.

Over the past twenty-five years, motor vehicle crashes have prematurely, violently and tragically ended the lives of one million Americans – killing more of our children, teens and young adults than any other single cause. That’s one death every 13 minutes.

Distracted driving was top-of-mind for motorists, with 80 percent of motorists rating distracted driving as a very serious threat to their safety. Even those who admitted to distracted driving acknowledged they were putting themselves in danger. For example, more than half of those who admitted to reading or sending text messages or e-mails while driving indicated they were much more likely to be involved in a crash.

The Foundation’s Traffic Safety Culture Index shows that people today fear distracted drivers almost as much as drunk drivers.

Safety tips for motorists:

Plan Ahead – Check for planned work zone delays and traffic advisories and allow extra travel time prior to departing for a trip. Free to all travelers, the AAA TripTik Travel Planner online mapping tool, available at AAA.com, provides the latest road construction and traffic congestion information.

Remain Alert – Obey the directions of police officers, firefighters and road crew flaggers and follow all posted work zone advisories and signage. Temporary work zone signs are orange and commonly diamond-shaped. Minimize interior and exterior distractions. Construction zones may contain unusual vehicles or machinery that can divert a driver’s attention. Be prepared to stop, slow down, shift lanes and yield to the movement of construction workers and equipment. Do not turn off your vehicle when stopped on the roadway unless you’ll be idling for a significant period of time.

Reduce Speed – Go with the flow of traffic but maintain a safe distance between your car and the vehicles ahead, traffic barriers, construction workers and equipment.