With warmer weather come many joyful things, such as singing birds, blooming flowers and budding trees. Memories of the past three Minnesota seasons (winter, more winter, and still winter) begin to fade away. However, with the warmer weather also comes the fourth Minnesota season – road construction.
It doesn’t matter what role we play – mom, dad, sister, brother, grandma, grandpa, law enforcement officer, tow truck driver, or EMS responder, etc. – the top priority when we are on the job or behind the wheel should be work zone safety. With the summer road construction season in full force, it is not unusual to travel through one or more areas of road construction on the way to anywhere we need to travel, near or far.
Slow moving traffic or traffic back-ups, which can delay the trip to work, the store, picking up kids at school events, etc., can result in pent-up frustration. Many drivers may not be aware that each of us plays a very important role in keeping traffic moving through these construction areas. Inattentive driver behavior is often the contributing factor to work zone crashes.
Please keep in mind:
■ Stay alert, especially at night.
■ Stay off cell phones and mobile devices. Do not text while driving.
■ Be patient. Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
■ Obey posted speed limits. Fines may be double for violations in work zones.
■ Expect work zones to constantly change. Day to day, you could experience lane shifts, closures, or moving workers and vehicles.
■ Never enter a road that has been blocked with barriers or cones.
Drivers need to be focused on driving, not on other distractions which can lead to additional delays, minor fender benders, and even tragedy. Remember, road construction projects improve the roads for all drivers, so please be part of the team that helps keep the work zones safe. Together we can make a difference.
Virgil Hawkins is the Wright County highway engineer and a Safe Communities of Wright County board member. For more, visit www.safecommunitiesofwrightcounty.org.