Each year when the weather improves, Pennsylvanians and travelers through the state can anticipate seeing many work zones along the 40,000 miles of roadway and 25,000 bridges in the care of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (“PennDOT”). PennDOT urges motorists to stay safe and has some very helpful tips for driving in and around work zones. The lawyers at Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., in Reading wanted to share PennDOT’s work zone tips from the PennDOT website:
WORK ZONE SAFETY TIPS
If you encounter our work zones, please keep the following tips in mind for your safety and the safety of highway workers.
- Drive the posted work zone speed limit.
- Stay alert and pay close attention to signs and flaggers.
- Turn on your headlights if signs instruct you to do so.
- Maintain a safe distance around vehicles. Don’t tailgate.
- Use four-way flashers when stopped or traveling slowly.
- Avoid distractions and give your full attention to the road.
- Always buckle up.
- Expect the unexpected.
- Be patient.
WORK ZONE LAWS
Pennsylvania’s work zone safety laws are designed to protect both highway workers and motorists.
POSTED WORK ZONES:
Headlights on. All motorists are required to travel with their headlights turned on in all posted work zones, not just active work zones. It is necessary for drivers in vehicles with daytime running lights to turn on their headlights in order to activate their taillights.
Speed-monitoring devices. Interstate work zones with a project cost exceeding $300,000 will have a speed-monitoring device to alert motorists of their speed prior to entering the work zone.
ACTIVE WORK ZONES:
Posting of active work zones. Active work zones must be designated as such to notify motorists when they enter and leave the work zone. A white flashing light attached to the “Active Work Zone When Flashing” sign will indicate an active work zone. The flashing light will only be activated when workers are present and turned off when workers are not present.
Fifteen-day loss of license for driving dangerously. Motorists caught driving 11 miles per hour or more above the posted speed limit in an active work zone, or who are involved in a crash in an active work zone and are convicted for failing to drive at a safe speed, automatically will lose their license for 15 days.
Fines doubled/jail time increased. Fines for certain traffic violations — including speeding, driving under the influence, and failure to obey traffic devices — are doubled for active work zones. Also, the law provides for up to five years of additional jail time for individuals convicted of homicide by vehicle for a crash that occurred in an active work zone.
If you are involved in an automobile accident in which you, or a family member, are injured due to someone else’s carelessness, you should talk to a lawyer about your rights. The lawyers at Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C. have been helping injured people in Reading, PA, Pottsville, PA and throughout Central and Eastern Pennsylvania obtain fair compensation for their injuries caused by auto accidents for over 50 years.
From the desk of Adam K. Levin, Esquire.