Road Construction Zone Accident Lawyer in Indianapolis

It’s a given that accidents on our roads are dangerous. Accidents that occur in Indiana’s construction zones, however, are more dangerous still. As our great state endeavors to keep up with increased car and truck traffic, construction zones are a necessary evil. Some drivers even let the inconvenience of a construction-zone slow down push them to drive more aggressively and, thus, more dangerously. When you’re driving in a construction zone, slow down, stay on the lookout for dangerous drivers, and always put safety first.

In 2014, Indiana experienced 14 construction zone fatalities and more than 400 injuries. The accidents were precipitated by a variety of causes:

• Following too closely
• Unsafely changing lanes
• Failing to yield right-of-way
• Running off the roadway
• Running over an object in the road
• Driving while distracted
• Driving at unsafe speeds

These practices resulted in several common types of car accidents, including rear-end accidents, same-direction sideswipes, head-on accidents, and roadway departures.

If an Indiana construction zone accident injured you, seek experienced legal counsel. These cases are often complicated, but your rights and rightful compensation are too important to leave to chance. The dedicated car accident attorneys at the Law Office of William W. Hurst in Indianapolis are here to help.

Indiana Construction Zone Crash Statistics

Informative statistics related to the dangers of construction zone accidents include:

• Nationally, four out of five construction zone fatalities are occupants of vehicles within the construction zone—not highway workers.
• When you’re traveling at 45 miles per hour (as opposed to 65 miles per hour), it takes only one additional minute to make it through a construction zone that’s two miles long. Slow down for safety!
• Rear-end accidents are the most common construction zone collisions.
• Most construction zone fatalities occur on roads with posted speed limits of more than 50 miles per hour.
• Those areas of the construction zone where cars are entering and exiting are typically the most dangerous areas, because drivers are also engaged in making lane changes and merging.
• Summer and fall are the seasons most closely associated with construction zone accidents.

Indiana’s Construction Zone Safety Laws 

Indiana has strict construction zone safety laws that exact steep penalties for those drivers who engage in driving infractions within highway construction zones. A first-time citation for speeding in a construction zone incurs a $300 fine, and the amount goes up precipitously with each subsequent offense. Reckless or aggressive drivers face maximum fines of $5,000, and a driver who injures or kills a highway worker can look at $10,000 in fines and six years behind bars. Indiana takes its construction zone safety laws seriously, and so should you.

Staying Safe on the Roads

When you’re driving through a construction zone, you naturally recognize that the stakes are higher—vehicles are contained within a more constrictive driving space that allows very few escape hatches. Nevertheless, you can help make construction zones safer for everyone:

• Expect the unexpected. The configuration of a construction zone can change with little or no warning. Remain alert to what’s happening around you.
• Construction zones are no place for distracted driving. Distracted drivers are always dangerous drivers, but this is even truer in construction Save your distractions for another time.
• Stay alert to any reductions in speed limits, lanes that become narrower, changes in traffic patterns, and—most important of all—highway workers.
• Respect the speed limit that’s posted, but if the conditions of the construction zone necessitate that you reduce your speed below the speed limit, do that. Let the construction zone’s conditions guide your driving decisions. Remember that speed is a major factor in construction zone collisions.
• Smoothly merge out of the road construction as quickly and as safely as you possibly can—this allows for the safe continued flow of traffic.
• Maintain a safe distance between both sides of your car and the road construction around you, and follow other vehicles at a safe distance. Rear-end collisions are the most common form of construction zone accidents.
• If flaggers are present, carefully obey their guidance and maneuver past them safely. Be patient with construction zone flaggers. They’re there for a reason—to help keep everyone safer.
• When a construction zone is on your route, expect and plan for delays—it’s simply part of the process.
• When you can, avoid construction zones altogether by selecting alternate routes.
• Be patient and remain calm when traveling through construction You’ll get there when you get there, and arriving alive should always be your top priority.

We all share the responsibility of helping to keep construction zones safer for everyone.

Who’s to Blame? 

Accidents in construction zones are often caused by the same types of driver negligence that result in other kinds of car accidents, but sometimes the construction zones themselves are dangerous by design:

• Obstructed views
• Confusing, inadequate, or absent signs
• Confusing mechanisms for traffic control
• Hazards left on or near the road
• Pavement drop-offs
• Inadequate pavement markings
• Failure to post or require decreased speed limits
• Inadequate traffic channeling mechanisms
• Lanes that are too narrow
• Frequent and confusing merge areas

Construction zones are difficult and dangerous enough. When they’re poorly managed and executed, they become that much more dangerous.

Consult Indianapolis Car Accident Attorney William W. Hurst Today 

Construction zones are the bane of many a driver. After all, they slow us down. It’s important to also remember, however, that construction zones present unique dangers that we must heed to effect safe passage. If a construction zone accident injured you or your loved one, you need an experienced car accident lawyer. The dedicated legal team at the Law Office of William W. Hurst in Indianapolis has the experience, skill, and knowledge to help effectively navigate your construction zone accident claim toward its most advantageous resolution. We’re here to help, so please contact or call us at (317) 636-0808 to schedule a free consultation today.