Connecticut’s work zones often create unfamiliar traffic patterns and other potential hazards, making them dangerous for you and other Connecticut motorists to navigate. While they are a necessary part of the state’s infrastructure, these construction zones are also common sites for car crashes. Many of those wrecks result in at least one injury or fatality.
According to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, there were a total of 1,128 car crashes that took place in state work zones in 2017, the latest year of data. Of those 1,128 crashes, three fatalities resulted. Many of them also caused injuries to motorists, passengers, construction workers, cyclists or pedestrians.
Common factors in work zone car wrecks
Rear-end crashes are common in work zones, and they are more likely to occur when individuals speed through these areas. In some cases, work zone maintenance vehicles and construction equipment create crash hazards. Of the 1,128 wrecks that occurred in Connecticut’s work zones in 2017, 44 of them involved vehicles slamming into work zone maintenance vehicles or equipment. Another 41 of those crashes involved motorists striking vehicles parked within the construction zones.
Work zone safety tips
There are several steps you may want to take to lower the chances of involvement in a construction zone car crash. Be prepared for changes in traffic patterns. If you know a construction zone exists in a certain area, allow yourself extra time to navigate it. Always wear your seatbelt and abide by all posted speed limits. Also, be sure to keep an eye on flaggers and others directing traffic in work zones and follow their instructions exactly.
