Highway work zones are annoying, but motorists should never leave the traffic lane to avoid delays.
Even if the way appears clear, driving into a work zone is incredibly dangerous for workers.
A highway work zone or any work zone in a public area has a number of associated risks, according to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Injuries and fatalities result from three causes:
1 Passing traffic.
2 Construction vehicles working inside the work zone.
3 Construction vehicles entering and leaving the work zone.
Construction laborers on foot are most at risk from all three causes.
In the period between 1992 and 1998, construction laborers represented the highest percentage of fatalities at 42 percent. They were equally as likely to be struck by a passing car as they were to be struck by a construction vehicle, according to NIOSH.