(From the City of Springfield)
The City's Public Works department is asking for motorists' help in preventing construction-zone traffic accidents.
"Since June 13, we have had five accidents in our construction areas, and that's too many. All of the accidents were caused by drivers' inattention," said Interim Co-Director of Public Works Jonathan Gano.
Work-zone crashes are a problem nationwide. Statistics show that each year about 1,000 people die in work zones throughout America; 85 percent of those fatalities are drivers and their passengers. According to preliminary reports released by the National Transportation Safety Board, the truck driver charged in the June fatal crash that injured actor Tracy Morgan was speeding through a construction zone on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Motorists are advised to be aware of safety hazards as they approach work zones. Below are some tips for driving in work zones.
Expect the unexpected: Normal speed limits may be reduced, traffic lanes may be changed, and people may be working on or near the road.
Keep a safe distance between your car and the car ahead of you. The most common crash in a highway work zone is the rear-end collision, so leave space to stop between you and the car ahead. Do not tailgate, and do not speed.
Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and construction workers and their equipment. The closer you are, the slower you should go.
Obey road-crew flaggers and warning signs. The flagger knows what is best for moving traffic safely in the work zone. A flagger has the same authority as a regulatory sign, so you can be cited for disobeying his or her directions.
Stay alert and minimize distractions. Dedicate your full attention to the roadway.
Keep up with the traffic flow. Motorists can help maintain traffic flow and posted speeds by merging as soon as possible.
For a live view of traffic flow and incidents please visit: www.ozarkstraffic.info
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