November 30, 2012 (Press-News.org) Work Zones Increase Risk of Accidents for Workers and Drivers
Drivers in Illinois are more than familiar with construction work zones and probably identify them more as an inconvenience than as area of increased traffic accident risk. But, every year in Illinois more than 7,000 motor vehicle crashes occur in work zones. Last year 24 people died in work zone traffic accidents. Of those deaths 21 were drivers and passengers of vehicles, one was a pedestrian in a work zone and two were construction workers. Therefore, being aware of roadside construction signs and slowing down is just as important to the safety of motorists and it is to construction workers.
Car Accidents in Work Zones
While the number of work zone fatalities has significantly decreased since 2003, there has been a slight increase in work zone fatalities each year since 2008. The Illinois Department of Transportation has developed multiple initiatives to try and reduce the number of car accidents that occur in work zones throughout the state. One of those initiatives is the Orange Ribbon Campaign, which asks drivers to slow down when seeing orange. IDOT has also implemented a public service announcement and changeable message boards to educate the public on work zone safety. Drivers who disregard work zone warning signs should be aware of increased ground and air patrols by the Illinois State Police to enforce work zone laws and new laws that apply to work zones.
To reduce accidents in construction zones on the highway, speeding is against the law in work zones, but the penalties may be surprising. The penalty for speeding in a work zone is $375 for a first time offense, $1000 for subsequent offenses, and a 90 day suspension of license. Moreover, the law is enforced by a zero-tolerance policy and Illinois State Police gain assistance with a photo enforcement law which allows state police to photograph the front and rear license plates of a speeding car as well as picture of the driver. Distracted driving also contributes to work zone traffic accidents and is subject to new laws as well.
Distracted Driving in Work Zones
Two recent distracted driving laws effectively ban any cellphone use by drivers while traveling through a work zone. Drivers are prohibited from talking on a cellphone while driving through a work zone, and drivers are also prohibited from texting, emailing or surfing the internet while driving on any road in Illinois. Fines for violations begin at $75. Finally, motorists should be aware of the tough penalty if a worker is hit within a construction zone. If a motorist injures or kills a worker within a work zone, the driver could face up to $10,000 in fines and 14 years in jail. To prevent a traffic accident from occurring in a work zone, motorists can take some precautions.
Precautionary Measures Than Can Help Prevent Accidents
To begin, motorists should slow down. The speed limit within work zones is usually 45 mph whether workers are present or not, and drivers can expect lower speed limits wherever normal road conditions do not exist, such as narrow lanes or edge drop offs. Motorists should remember the posted speed limits are the law and are not a suggestion. Motorists should also follow the signs provided by flaggers and arrow boards. Directions given by flaggers are meant to safely guide drivers through construction zones. Even though traffic in work zones can be extremely frustrating, drivers should be patient and remain alert to changes in traffic flow. Similarly, drivers should make sure they provide enough room between their vehicle and the vehicle in front of them. Sufficient space will make sure drivers can safely stop their vehicles if traffic suddenly comes to a halt. Finally, motorists need to be seen by workers. Therefore drivers should turn on their headlights through work zones and drivers of large trucks should use emergency flashers to warn motorists they need to slow down.
These measures can help prevent car accidents and injury within work zones. If you or a loved one has been in a traffic accident, contact an experienced personal injury attorney to review your legal rights and begin your path to recovery.
Article provided by Ripplinger & Zimmer, L.L.C.
Visit us at http://www.georgeripplinger.com
Work Zones Increase Risk of Accidents for Workers and Drivers
In Illinois being aware of roadside construction signs and slowing down is just as important to the safety of motorists and it is to construction workers.
2012-11-30
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Motorists: Exercise Caution When the Car Breaks Down
2012-11-30
Motorists: Exercise Caution When the Car Breaks Down
Coming upon a stopped or stalled car within traffic is unexpected--and a possible catalyst for disaster. In a recent fatal accident near Zebulon, North Carolina a car that had run out of gas late at night was sitting partially in the traffic lane of the highway. A car ran into the stopped car, spun out of control, was struck by another vehicle causing it to burst into flames. The driver of that car died, and three other people were also injured in the accident.
This tragedy is a sobering reminder that drivers need ...
Fatal Massachusetts DUI Accidents Illustrate Penalties For Drunk Driving
2012-11-30
Fatal Massachusetts DUI accidents illustrate penalties for drunk driving
Two Massachusetts drunk driving accidents earlier this year show the potentially severe penalties awaiting those convicted of driving under the influence in the state. These penalties increase dramatically when a driver, passenger or pedestrian is injured or killed in an accident involving intoxication. A recent example involved Jay Franklin, of Upton, Massachusetts, who was driving in Westfield when he was involved in an accident while driving with three passengers. The crash occurred early on ...
Massachusetts Increasing Its Monitoring Of Prescription Painkillers
2012-11-30
Massachusetts increasing its monitoring of prescription painkillers
Massachusetts' Online Prescription Monitoring Program collects prescribing and dispensing information for prescription medications that are subject to abuse, such as painkillers and stimulants. The idea behind reporting is to prevent the same person from obtaining controlled substances from multiple sources and to track doctors and pharmacies that have a tendency to "overprescribe" potentially abusive drugs.
Essentially, the PMP program looks to reduce the number of "doctor shopping" ...
Unnecessary Medical Tests And Treatments Can Harm Patients
2012-11-30
Unnecessary medical tests and treatments can harm patients
Have you ever called your doctor because of a small concern only to be sent through a barrage of testing before even being seen by the physician? Have you ever been told by your doctor that you received unnecessary treatments because of a false positive on a test? If so, you are like many Americans who have been subjected to overtreatment by their physicians.
While, on the surface, receiving unnecessary tests may seem like erring on the side of safety, they can actually have harmful consequences for the patient. ...
Four Tips For A Better Co-parenting Relationship After Divorce
2012-11-30
Four tips for a better co-parenting relationship after divorce
For couples with children, divorce does not end a relationship but instead changes its focus. Although they no longer relate to one another in the context of marriage, in order to provide the best possible care for their children, divorced parents must learn to forge a new relationship as co-parents. The following tips may help smooth the transition for divorcing parents and help them provide a stable, healthy environment for their children.
Model mutual respect
Particularly in the immediate aftermath ...
Nevada's Drug Courts Celebrate 20 Years Of Success
2012-11-30
Nevada's drug courts celebrate 20 years of success
In the twenty years since its inception, the Nevada drug court program has become widely regarded as one of the state's most successful tools for helping to keep people out of prison. At a ceremony marking the anniversary of Nevada's drug courts, Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Cherry said that no other court program "has had such a positive impact on the criminal justice system, the prison system and crime in general than Nevada's drug courts," the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported recently.
The ...
Post-divorce Parenting: How To Make It Work
2012-11-30
Post-divorce parenting: How to make it work
A divorce is a difficult process for everyone. But when going through a divorce with children, some of the most challenging work happens after the divorce. You and your former spouse need to negotiate how you will parent separately as co-parents.
Accepting different parenting styles
You and your former spouse may have very different styles of parenting. Remember that you probably cannot change the way your co-parent is parenting, so you need to learn to accept it. Your children may actually benefit from experience two ...
Tips for Co-Parenting After a Pennsylvania Divorce
2012-11-30
Tips for Co-Parenting After a Pennsylvania Divorce
In many cases after divorce, people would like nothing more than to never talk to their ex-spouses again. Those who have children cannot simply ignore their ex-spouses after divorce, however. Under many Pennsylvania child custody arrangements both parents spend time with the children. Therefore, parents need to learn how to have a relationship with their ex-spouses that allows them to raise their children together. People can follow steps to make co-parenting after divorce more successful.
Focus on the Child
Parents ...
Steep Fines For Underage Drinking Under New Pennsylvania Law
2012-11-30
Steep fines for underage drinking under new Pennsylvania law
In an effort to reduce underage drinking and public intoxication, Pennsylvania legislators teamed up with law enforcement agencies in college towns across the state to develop a new underage drinking law that is set to go into effect on December 24, 2012. The new policy is meant to send a strong message to college students and others under the age of 21 by imposing heavy fines on those who are caught violating the state's liquor laws.
Under the new law, the maximum fines for public drunkenness or underage ...
Chicago Enacts New Firearm Law -- Again
2012-11-30
Chicago Enacts New Firearm Law -- Again
Lawmakers in Chicago turned their attention to gun control once again recently after months of frequent shootings in the summer of 2012. The Chicago City Council amended the Chicago gun ordinance in late July, the latest in a string of changes that aim to strike a balance between public safety and personal freedom.
Frequent Change in Chicago Gun Law
Chicago lawmakers outlawed the sale and possession of handguns in 1982, and the ban remained in place for nearly three decades before it was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
CMD-OPT model enables the discovery of a potent and selective RIPK2 inhibitor as preclinical candidate for the treatment of acute liver injury
Melatonin receptor 1a alleviates sleep fragmentation-aggravated testicular injury in T2DM by suppression of TAB1/TAK1 complex through FGFR1
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction retards colorectal tumorigenesis by regulating the TMEM131–TNF signaling pathway-mediated differentiation of immunosuppressive dendritic ce
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B Volume 15, Issue 7 Publishes
New research expands laser technology
Targeted radiation offers promise in patients with metastasized small cell lung cancer to the brain
A high clinically translatable strategy to anti-aging using hyaluronic acid and silk fibroin co-crosslinked hydrogels as dermal regenerative fillers
Mount Sinai researchers uncover differences in how males and females change their mind when reflecting on past mistakes
CTE and normal aging are difficult to distinguish, new study finds
Molecular arms race: How the genome defends itself against internal enemies
Tiny chip speeds up antibody mapping for faster vaccine design
KTU experts reveal why cultural heritage is important for community unity
More misfolded proteins than previously known may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia
“Too much going on”: Autistic adults overwhelmed by non-verbal social cues
What’s driving America’s deep freezes in a warming world?
A key role of brain protein in learning and memory is deciphered by scientists
Heart attacks don’t follow a Hollywood script
Erin M. Schuman wins 2026 Nakasone Award for discovery on neural synapse function and change during formation of memories
Global ocean analysis could replace costly in-situ sound speed profiles in seafloor positioning, study finds
Power in numbers: Small group professional coaching reduces rates of physician burnout by nearly 30%
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage: A comprehensive review of CCUS-EOR
New high-temperature stable dispersed particle gel for enhanced profile control in CCUS applications
State gun laws and firearm-related homicides and suicides
Use of tobacco and cannabis following state-level cannabis legalization
Long-term obesity and biological aging in young adults
Eindhoven University of Technology and JMIR Publications announce unlimited open access publishing agreement
Orphan nuclear receptors in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease development
A technological breakthrough for ultra-fast and greener AI
Pusan National University researchers identify key barriers hindering data-driven smart manufacturing adoption
Inking heterometallic nanosheets: A scalable breakthrough for coating, electronics, and electrocatalyst applications
[Press-News.org] Work Zones Increase Risk of Accidents for Workers and DriversIn Illinois being aware of roadside construction signs and slowing down is just as important to the safety of motorists and it is to construction workers.