IDOT wants residents to stay alert in construction areas and watch for road workers. | Matthew Hamilton/Unsplash
IDOT wants residents to stay alert in construction areas and watch for road workers. | Matthew Hamilton/Unsplash
State Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) urged individuals to stay alert in construction areas as the weather warms up and crews head out to repair roads.
Keicher shared a graphic from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) that focused on work zone awareness in a mid-April Facebook post. The graphic showed that between 2016 and 2020, each year there were an average of 6,078 work zone crashes and 1,635 individuals injured in those crashes.
"It's construction season in Illinois, and that means more equipment and workers out on the roadways," Keicher said in the Facebook post. "Keep yourself and road workers safe by remembering to slow down and stay alert in work zones."
In a work zone safety fact sheet, IDOT offered these safety tips: drop the phone and drive; slow down and obey speed limits; move over for workers whenever possible; pay attention to conditions, which can change quickly; give heavy vehicles room to adjust to conditions; and remember, traffic backups can occur at any time.
Drivers were urged to pay special attention to heavy vehicles, since they need more time to slow down and speed up, according to the fact sheet. Approximately 38% of fatal work zone crashes in 2021 involved a heavy vehicle.
Motorists can learn more about road construction on IDOT's website.
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