It goes without saying: safety is paramount. Especially as far as any sort of roadway construction goes. Construction projects are some of the most labor-intensive projects you and your team will ever undertake, which means there are plenty of things that can go south. Keen attention to detail will help keep both drivers and pedestrians safe when they’re traveling through or near a construction zone, and we’ve assembled a few vital tips to ensure that this goal is accomplished.
Some of the ways to keep drivers safe in construction zones may seem obvious, but with any roadway project, it is easy to lose focus on areas like safety procedures when the majority of the time and effort is spent on the primary aspect of the project - i.e. the physical work that needs to be completed.
So without further adieu, here are the five best ways to keep drivers (and pedestrians!) safe in construction zones.
There are a few certainties in life: death, taxes, and the fact that inevitably, traffic will become backed up during road construction. A higher concentration of vehicles located in a smaller area increases the odds that there will be an accident due to drivers having to potentially stop unexpectedly. Luckily, installing rumble strips is a proven, cost-effective measure to help combat this. Essentially, rumble strips - raised pavement markings that are put down across both the full width of the road as well as perpendicular to the direction of traffic - are used to alert drivers to slow down and pay attention. We’ve all encountered rumble strips before, and let’s be honest: there’s nothing else that can alert a driver to pay attention than the loud rumble vibration underneath your vehicle when you drive over them!
Another great way to keep drivers and pedestrians safe in construction zones is simply to use signage. There are a plethora of different types of signage that can be utilized, including warning signs, flashing lights, customizable LED signs, pavement markings, and arrow boards. The point of signage is simple - you are relaying important safety messages to the drivers and they work very well in that regard. However, keep in mind that in some situations there can be extenuating circumstances that cause the driver to not be as attentive as they normally would be, which is why we recommend using signage in conjunction with as many other safety measures as you can under the budget of your particular project.
As far as being easy to implement, nothing beats the ease of use and flexibility of traffic cones and construction barrels. For starters, they can be used in a variety of different ways, such as using them to block off entire sections of a roadway, aligning them in a way that they create a physical barrier between traffic and the construction workers themselves, or using them to safely blockade problem areas on the road, such as an open ditch. The cones and barrels themselves are lightweight and durable, ensuring that the act of physically placing them on the roadway is a relatively simple and easy assignment.
In addition, reflectors and various customized lighting can also be used in conjunction with them to increase visibility - and ultimately keep drivers and pedestrians alike as safe as possible.
It’s important to note that although this article focuses on the safety of drivers and pedestrians that are passing through construction zones, all of these safety methods and tools ensure the safety of the construction workers themselves as well!