As Spring Arrives, So do Indiana Road Construction Projects
As Indiana's weather warms up, so does road construction season. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of road work is an increase in crashes and motor vehicle accidents in work zones.

April 02, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- As Spring Arrives, So do Indiana Road Construction Projects

Spring brings with it a return of green grass, birds, baseball and road construction projects across the state. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) urges drivers to pay extra attention to the men and women working next to the bright orange barrels marking highway work zones.

With Indiana's 10-year construction plan, Major Moves, INDOT is proceeding with road improvement projects across the state. This includes the massive Accelerate 465 project on the west side of Indianapolis from just south of the I-70/I-465 interchange to the area just south of the 56th Street interchange.

This spring, work begins on the I-465 mainline with I-74. This portion of the project is slated to be completed by winter of 2012. All across the Accelerate 465 project, vehicle capacity will eventually be increased.

However, INDOT warns that during construction, due to be completed in 2014, there will be work zones where lanes may be narrower than normal and speeds lower than normal, making it imperative that drivers obey traffic signs and remain alert at all times. In work zones, large trucks, such as 18-wheelers, may have less maneuverability than they typically do because of the constricted lanes.

Danger Zones

INDOT recently released its most current road construction crash data. It reported that in 2007, seven people were killed and 835 injured in state work zone crashes. A year later, there were another 800 injuries and 14 killed in road construction projects across Indiana.

Across the nation, road work zone statistics are even grimmer:
-One person is killed in a work zone accident every 8.2 hours, accounting for three dead each day.
-More than 40,000 people are hurt in work zone crashes each year, adding up to over 100 each day.
-Four out of every five people killed in road work zones are motorists, not construction workers.

Safety First

Driving safety experts encourage all drivers in and around road construction projects to follow a few simple rules to increase safety for motorists and workers alike:
-Look for and obey lowered speed limits near work zones.
-Pay attention: work zone signs will tell you what to expect ahead.
-Don't tailgate. Tailgating reduces the time you have in which to react to unforeseen events.
-Minimize distractions. Stay off of your cellphone and avoid other electronic distractions in order to keep your eyes on the road, other vehicles and the workers.

In Case of a Crash

If you have been hurt, or a member of your family has been injured or killed in a road construction zone crash, contact an experienced Indiana personal injury attorney. A lawyer can help you recover compensation after a motor vehicle accident, whether you or your family member is a driver, passenger or road construction worker.

Press Release Contact Information:

Findlaw PR