For Road Crews, Danger Speeds 3 Feet Away

If you’ve ever had to change a tire on the side of a busy highway, you know how unnerving it is when a car or truck zooms past a few feet from you. Imagine trying to change that tire while your car sits in the road. If you can do that, you can begin to appreciate the dangers that highway construction zone work crews experience. These crews routinely face drivers who zoom through construction zones within 3 feet of workers. The most dangerous time for highway work crews is in the middle of the night when truck drivers are trying to complete runs and people are returning home from parties. Earlier this year, Gov. Don Siegelman signed a law the Legislature passed that doubled core speeding fines through urban and rural highway construction zones.