The week of April 7th has been declared a “Work Zone Safety Awareness Week,” to encourage safe driving on the roads, particularly in the construction zone areas. According to INDOT there are fatalities from accidents in the construction zones nearly every year. Just last weekend a construction worker, who was driving an INDOT truck was severely injured in Lafayette when another truck failed to yield to the worker. The work zone safety campaign is not only designed to protect the highway workers, but also the drivers on the highways. Statistics show that last year 13 drivers were killed and more than 450 were injured in the Indiana highway work zone areas.
In Indiana the issue of work zone speeding is taken seriously: a driver may be fined up to $1000 for speeding, and up to $5000 for driving recklessly in the construction zone. “We put signs up at all of our work zones warning motorists that they could face fines for speeding or driving recklessly through work zones or injuring or killing a worker. But the greatest cost is that, is hurting somebody else,” says Nathan Riggs with INDOT.
This week the Indiana drivers are encouraged to wear orange to support Work Zone Safety Awareness Week and refresh their knowledge on the traffic rules in the construction zones. If you or any one you know has been injured while working or in an auto accident, please call Schiller Law Offices at 317-578-2100.