Road construction zones are a common sight on highways and streets across the country. While these zones are necessary for maintaining and improving roadways, they also create unique challenges for drivers, particularly when commercial trucks and big rigs roll through these areas.For truck drivers, the combination of narrow lanes, sudden traffic changes, and unpredictable conditions can create dangerous situations that can increase the risk of causing a truck accident.Drivers in smaller passenger vehicles need to remain alert and cautious to reduce that risk.
Why Road Construction Zones Are Risky Around Commercial Trucks
Construction zones are inherently complex environments, often marked by reduced speed limits, shifting lanes, and active roadwork. For commercial trucks, the conditions add extra layers of difficulty, which translates to greater risks for the vehicles around them.
Reasons why road construction zones can increase the risk of a truck accident include:
• Narrow Lanes and Reduced Space: Construction zones often involve temporary lane closures and the creation of narrower driving lanes. For trucks, which already require significant space to maneuver, these restrictions can make it difficult to stay within their lane. Squeezing a wide truck into a narrow roadway creates a higher risk of side-swipe collisions, particularly with other vehicles traveling close by.
• Sudden Lane Shifts and Merges: Frequent and unexpected lane changes or merges are common in construction zones. Truck drivers must react quickly to these changes, a task that becomes even more challenging if traffic is congested or if warning signs are unclear. When large trucks need extra time and space to change lanes, confusion on the road can easily turn into an accident.
• Increased Traffic Congestion: Construction work can slow traffic to a crawl, often creating stop-and-go conditions. While this is an inconvenience for smaller cars, it’s a genuine hazard for large trucks, which require significantly more distance to come to a complete stop. Rear-end collisions are particularly common in these slow-moving areas, especially when a truck driver is not paying enough attention to the road.
• Limited Visibility: Construction zones are often filled with equipment, barriers, and workers that obstruct a driver’s view of the road ahead. The cluttered environment can prevent truck drivers from spotting slowed or stopped traffic and reacting in time to avoid a crash. Low visibility during nighttime construction work only adds to the danger.
Truck Driver Fatigue & Distraction in Construction Zone Accidents
Fatigue and inattention are major factors in truck accidents, and their impact is even more pronounced in construction zones. Truck drivers often cover long distances and face tight delivery schedules, leaving them vulnerable to exhaustion. Fatigue slows reaction times, impairs judgment, and can even cause micro-sleeps where a driver briefly loses consciousness.
Distracted driving, such as using a phone, eating, or adjusting navigation systems, can also prevent truck drivers from noticing changes in the road ahead. This lack of focus can be deadly in a construction zone, where quick decisions and constant adjustments are required. For example, if a truck driver fails to notice a "lane closed ahead" sign because they are looking at their phone, they might make a last-minute lane change or slam on the brakes, both of which could result in a serious collision.
Safety Tips for Driving Through Construction Zones with Trucks
A few practical safe driving tips to reduce your risk of a truck accident in a construction zone are:
• Stay Alert and Focused: Focus on the road and avoid distractions like texting or using your phone. Pay attention to posted signs and the movements of other vehicles, particularly large trucks.
• Maintain a Safe Following Distance: Give trucks plenty of space. Tailgating is especially dangerous, as large vehicles can obstruct your view of what’s happening ahead. Trucks also take longer to stop, so keeping a safe distance reduces the chance of a rear-end collision.
• Avoid a Truck’s Blind Spots: Trucks have large no-zones, or blind spots, on all sides. If you can’t see the truck driver in their side mirrors, they likely can’t see you. Stay out of these areas, particularly when driving through congested, narrow construction zones.
• Be Predictable: Sudden lane changes or aggressive driving can confuse truck drivers and lead to accidents. Signal your intentions clearly and give trucks the time and space they need to react.
• Follow Posted Speed Limits: Reduced speed limits in construction zones are there for a reason. Driving at lower speeds gives you more time to react and helps minimize the severity of accidents.
Call Us for Help After a Truck Accident in a Construction Zone
Accidents in construction zones can cause significant physical injuries, emotional trauma, and financial burdens. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in a road construction zone, the process of figuring out liability and pursuing compensation can be complicated, compounding the hardships you are already dealing with. To get all the legal support and guidance you need, come to Hilliard Law in Texas. Our experienced legal team is here to help you with every part of your claim and fight for every dollar you need to recover.
Contact us today by calling (866) 927-3420 and asking for a free consultation.