This week, Colorado police urge drivers to stay safe when passing through construction zones. Work Zone Awareness Week – April 23-27 – is a national effort to decrease the accidents, injuries and deaths that occur in work zones.

Nationwide, there are three work zone fatalities a day and one work zone injury every 15 minutes, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. We can prevent these injuries by curbing the three most common causes of work zone accidents:

• Speeding: The lower speed limits in work zones can be a pain, especially if you are in a hurry, but they can save lives. You can also avoid huge fines by staying under the speed limit. Compared to other states, the Colorado work zone laws are pretty strict: all violations that take place in a work zone are punished with doubled fines. Neither workers nor signs need to be present in the work zone for a police officer to enforce this policy.
• Inattention: Drivers not paying close enough attention to the road cause many work zone accidents. When driving through a work zone, keep an extra eye on your surroundings. Turn down the radio, hang up the phone and save the sandwich for later.
• Following too close: Tailgating is fairly common in work zones since everyone wants to get out of them as soon as possible. Unfortunately, work zones have sudden stops and shifts of traffic, which cause problems if you are following too close behind another vehicle. Give the car in front of you a wide berth when traveling through work zones.

Exercising patience and focus this construction season is a win-win for everyone: avoid accidents, deaths, injuries and huge fines by driving carefully through construction zones.

The Metier Law Firm, LLC – Denver injury attorneys