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Government Of Assam PUBLIC WORKS BUILDINGS & NH

Road Safety
Home ❯ Road Safety ❯ Road Safety Near Construction Zones/ Road works

Road Safety Near Construction Zones/ Road works

Increased infrastructure spending and funding for road construction have led to a significant increase in the number of highway construction projects around Assam. The safety of road users and workers is a concern on roads and highways worldwide. Thousands of people are killed when traffic has to pass through road construction or maintenance works every year. The numbers of construction zone injuries and fatalities are predicted to climb even higher.

According to the report received from the SSP, CID, Assam, the annual number of persons killed in motor vehicle crashes in work zones in the Assam has increased day by day. The majority of these fatalities are drivers or occupants; however, some  percent are non-motorists – including pedestrians, bikers and construction workers.
In this section, we will discuss the threat to road safety at construction zones and provide advice to enhance the safety of motorists and road construction workers.

Risks to Road Safety at Construction Zones

Road construction zones present a deadly hazard for workers, motorists, and pedestrians. This hazard is brought about by high-speed limits, impatient drivers, and widespread traffic congestion.  To this we can add heat, driving stress, and long stretches of highway under construction - creating a recipe for extreme driving hazards for motorists and road workers alike.
The construction zones are also called “Cone Zones” - those portions of the highways marked by cones, barrels, and signs where road construction is taking place. Some work zones might have a speed-monitoring device to alert motorists of their speed prior to entering the work zone.  Even though they are marked and signposted as areas where motorists must slow down and drive with extra caution, many drivers speed up to get through the construction area as quickly as possible. Construction or maintenance zones will have roadway signs in advance to warn motorists that road work is being done. Active work zones are designated as such to notify motorists when they enter and leave the work zone.

The main causes of deaths and injuries at construction zones are:

  1. Speeding traffic - the number one cause of death and injury in highway construction work zones.
  2. Inadequate sign posting and lighting and drivers failing to notice road workers.
  3. Drivers do not pay attention to work zone signs or flaggers indicating they should slow down or come to a stop.
  4. Drivers are distracted by cellular phone calls, conversations, and activities at the roadside and are not merging properly.
  5. Drivers are driving right up to the last second and then try to force themselves in - if the other driver doesn't let them get in, they enter  the work zones and endanger the lives of workers.

National awareness campaigns are one way to convey the message that out on road, orange-clad workers and orange cones mean "slow down”. Experts say that an elementary grasp of colour-coded signs is crucial. Drivers should also be encouraged to follow the rules of the road through construction zones across the country.

Traffic enforcement is another way to improve safety. Many states in the US have greatly increased penalties for speeding through work zones. Tough new measures are implemented to encourage drivers to slow down and avoid the potentially deadly consequences of reckless driving through work zones.