Safety Is Us - Abra Safety Is Us Consultants

Dallas - Arlington - Fort Worth - Waco - Texas

Phone:

E-mail: 

 

 

It's

Category topics

Global Index &

 Featured Companies

Last updated:

October 17, 2010 08:14:51 AM

Texas Traffic and Road Safety resources.

 

Winter Driving Tips

 

See Orange. Stay back Stay Alive.
  • Snowplows travel at reduced speeds. Slow down when approaching a snowplow.
  • Never drive into a snowcloud.
  • Never pass a snowplow.
  • Always yield to a snowplow.
  • Stay back at least 300 feet when traveling behind a snowplow.

 

 
The following 10 tips were created by the Federal Highway Administration to increase work zone safety.
Title:
Survival in Work Zones: Ten Tips for Driving Safely in Work Zones
 
 
1. In any work zone along any road, major or minor, Expect the Unexpected! Normal speed limits may be reduced, traffic lanes may be changed, and people and vehicles may be working on or near the road.
2. Diamond-shaped orange warning signs are generally posted in advance of road construction projects. Slow down! Be alert! Pay attention to the signs!
3. In addition to other warning signs, a “flagger ahead” warning sign may be posted in the work zone. When you see this, stay alert and be prepared to obey the flagger’s directions. In a work zone, a flagger has the same authority as a regulatory sign, so you can be cited for disobeying his or her directions.
4. Calm down. Work zones aren’t there to personally inconvenience you. They’re necessary to improve the roads for everyone.
5. You may see flashing arrow panels or “lane closed ahead” signs. Merge as soon as possible. Don’t zoom right up to the lane closure, then try to barge in - if everyone cooperates, traffic moves more efficiently. Motorists can help maintain traffic flow and posted speeds by moving to the appropriate lane at first notice of an approaching work zone.
6. Slow down when the signs say to. A car traveling 60 m.p.h. travels 88 feet per second. If you’re going 60mph, and you pass a sign that says “Road Work 1500 feet,” you’ll be in that work zone in 17 seconds.
7. The most common crash in a highway work zone is the rear-end collision, so remember to leave two seconds of braking distance between you and the car in front of you. The amount of space required to provide two seconds of stopping time will increase the faster you’re driving!
8. Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and traffic barriers, trucks, construction equipment and workers. Just like you, highway workers want to return home safely after each day’s work.
9. Some work zones - like line painting, road patching, and mowing - are mobile, moving down the road as the work is finished. Just because you don’t see the workers immediately after you see the warning signs doesn’t mean they’re not out there. Observe the posted signs until you see the one that says you’ve left the work zone.
10. Expect delays; plan for them and leave early to reach your destination on time. Highway agencies use many different ways to inform motorists about the location and duration of major work zones. Often, the agencies will suggest a detour to help you avoid the work zone entirely. Plan ahead, and try an alternate route.
 
 
 
 
Safety Tips to Live By by the Federal HIghway Administration, Washington DC
 

Annually in work zones there are nearly 800 fatal and over 37,000 serious injury crashes. In addition, congestion and delays are mounting, and the frustration level of the driver is rising.

 

  1. STAY ALERT! Dedicate your full attention to the roadway.
  2. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION! Signs and work zone flaggers save lives.
  3. TURN ON YOUR HEADLIGHTS! Workers and other motorists must see you.
  4. DON'T TAILGATE!
  5. DON'T SPEED! Note the posted speed limits in and around the work zone.
  6. KEEP UP WITH THE TRAFFIC FLOW
  7. DON'T CHANGE LANES!
  8. MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS! Avoid changing radio stations and using mobile phone while driving in the work zone.
  9. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!  Keep an eye out for workers and their equipment.
  10. BE PATIENT! Remember the work zone crew members are working to improve your future ride.
     
 


 


 
National Work Zone Awareness Week Fact Sheet 2003 by the Federal Highway Administration
 
 
  1. Over the last five years, the number of persons killed in motor vehicle crashes in work zones has risen from 693 in 1997 to 1,079 in 2001.
  2. Eighty-five percent of those killed in a work zone are drivers or occupants.
  3. Rear-end crashes are the most common kind of work zone crash.
  4. On average from 1997 to 2001, 15 percent of the fatalities resulting from crashes in work zones were non-motorists (pedestrians and bicyclists).
  5. More than 40,000 people are injured each year as a result of motor vehicle crashes in work zones.
  6. Of the 1,079 work zone fatalities in 2001, 249 occurred in crashes involving large trucks.
  7. In 2001, more than half of all fatal work zone crashes occurred during the day.
  8. In 2001, more than two times as many fatal work zone crashes occurred on weekdays as on weekends.
  9. In 2001, fatal work zone crashes occurred most often in the summer and the fall.
  10. In 2001, the number of fatal work zone crashes occurring on rural interstates was almost 30 percent greater than the number of fatal crashes occurring on urban interstates.
  11. In 2001, the majority of fatal work zone crashes for all vehicles occurred on roads with speed limits of 55 miles an hour or greater.
     

Publication Date: 2003

 
 

In order to plan ahead, here are several links that provide information about road closures and weather.

 

United States Traffic Information

Click on State for Traffic and Closure Information.  Links to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration pages.

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgia
HawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMaryland
MassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew Jersey
New MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaPuerto RicoRhode Island
South CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermont VirginiaWashington StateWashington  D.C.West Virginia
WisconsinWyoming        

National Information Links:

 

Construction Related:

Weather/Road Conditions Related:

Traffic Conditions Information:

Regional Information Links:

State Departments of Transportation:

 

Texas Traffic and Road Information.

Texas Department of Transportation Links:

Other Government Travel Information Links:

Other Travel Information Links:

 

Did you know that the State of Texas has a website for citizens to report someone who litterers?  This is part of the "Don't Mess With Texas" campaign to keep Texas highways clean.

"Don't Mess With Texas" report a litterer webpage.

 

http://www.randmcnally.com/

 

http://www.smarttraveler.com

 

 

Real-time Traffic Reports

Real-time Traffic Information Providers
(multiple cities)

U.S. States

U.S. Counties

U.S. Cities

International

gray dividing bar