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You Can Help Clear an Incident
- Call #77 to report an accident or disabled vehicle. #77 signing is a proven effective method for motorists to report the location of incidents, or for motorists to report themselves if they are involved in an incident. Calls are forwarded directly to the Maryland and Virginia State Police who dispatch State police, Virginia State Police Motorist Assistance Patrols, MD SHA, or VDOT assistance.
- Move your disabled vehicle from the roadway to the shoulder. Seek out special shoulder areas in the construction zone that provide a "safe haven" for vehicles off of the active travel lanes, thus reducing the potential for motorist injury and secondary accidents. Private towing companies will be able to tow vehicles from emergency pull-off areas after they have been relocated from the incident scene.
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Tips for Your Vehicle
- Make sure your car is mechanically sound and that the air conditioning and heat work before trying to commute.
- Check the following before you hit the road:
- Battery - Make sure the posts and connections are free of corrosion. If your vehicle battery is older than three years, replace it.
- Oil - Dirty oil makes it harder for an engine to turn over and results in premature engine wear. Check your owner's manual for recommended oil change frequency.
- Wipers - The life expectancy of a wiper blade is one year. If your car's blades are older, replace them. Check and fill your wiper fluid reservoir.
- Tires - Check the tread on your tires to make sure they're not worn or under-inflated. Check your tire pressure at least twice monthly.
- Miscellaneous - Equip your automobile with the tools you might need on a trip, such as an extra tire, patch kit, air pump, tire tools, or multi-tool for minor repairs.
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Tips for Drivers
Plan Ahead
- If you know that your drive to work averages between 10 and 30 minutes, give yourself 40 minutes. Don't leave late and expect to make up for lost time on the road.
- Leave enough time for the commute. This means factoring in extra time when holiday weekends swell the number of cars on the road. Allow plenty of time to take into account any construction projects you may encounter, as well as adequate fuel and perhaps a soda or water.
Concentrate
- Stay Alert! - Watch for warning signs and changing conditions at all times. Give the drive your full attention. Don’t allow yourself to become distracted by talking on your cellular phone, shaving, eating, drinking, putting on makeup, reading the newspaper or “rubber-necking” to see stopped cars or construction. Distractions lead to mistakes, and mistakes lead to hostility. Stay alert and give full attention to the roadway.
Relax
- Take It Easy! - Make sure the radio/tape player functions properly. Tune the radio to your favorite “easy listening” station. Music can calm your nerves and help you to enjoy your time in the car. If you have a CD or tape player, treat yourself to some new selections and allow yourself to listen to them only in the car. Audio books can take your mind off of traffic congestion altogether. Don’t allow impatient or speeding motorists to cause you to alter your own good driving habits. Remember, the temporary inconvenience of a construction zone will pay off with greatly improved roads soon.
Leave Room
- Bottle Necks - Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and traffic barriers, construction equipment and workers. Stay in pace with the traffic flow through work zones. Maintain safe distance between you and the car ahead while driving, and an adequate safety zone when stopped to allow time for defensive driving. Driving too fast frequently leads to a condition called “bottle-necking.” This is when drivers start out well spaced but end up at the same place at the same time, bringing traffic to a standstill. Traffic flows best when everyone is traveling at about the same rate. Drive the posted speed limit.
Slow Down to Posted Limits
- Law Enforcement Ahead! - Slow down, pay attention and stay calm. Work zones are not intended to disrupt your schedule. They are there to improve the road and help everyone stay on schedule. Follow posted speed limits. When you see a sign that says, "Road Work 1500 Feet," you will be in a construction zone very quickly. A Car traveling 60mph travels 88 feet per second. If you are going 60 mph and you pass a sign that says “ Road Work 1500 Feet,” you will be in that work zone in 17 secs. Don’t resume normal speed until you see the signs indicating it’s safe to do so. The penalty for speeding violations in a work zone is a fine equal to twice the amount that would normally be assessed.
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General Safety
- When you see ORANGE warning signs along the highway, think safety and be alert. Orange signs, cones, and barrels alert you to work zones.
- Expect the unexpected. Proceed with extreme caution and always keep an eye on workers and their equipment. Be watchful for construction vehicles moving in and out of work zones.
- Do not change lanes or pass in work zones. Leave plenty of room between your car and the one in front of you. Unexpected stops frequently occur in work zones. Keeping at least two seconds between you and the vehicle in front is a good rule to follow.
"Jumping frequently from lane to lane isn't likely to be very productive"
- Watch for flaggers at work zones and follow their instructions. In addition to 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. Pay close attention to signs and work zone flaggers.
- Obey signs, channelizing devices and pavement markings as soon as you can-they give direction through the work zone. If you see flashing arrow panels or “lane closed ahead” signs or when required, merge left or right as soon as possible. Don’t zoom right up to the lane closure, and then try to barge in –if everyone cooperates, traffic moves more efficiently. When vehicles move to the appropriate lane quickly, traffic flow and posted speeds are usually maintained-and everyone’s stress level is kept in check.
- Do not tailgate - The most common crash in a highway work zone is the rear-end collision, so remember to leave two seconds of breaking distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. The amount of space required to provide two seconds of stopping time will increase the faster you’re driving. When stopped or traveling slowly, use your four-way flashers to alert drivers behind you of the backup.
- Driving in traffic is not always avoidable. But whenever possible, plan trips outside rush hour and peak traffic periods. Try to "smooth" your driving by accelerating and decelerating gradually, anticipating stops and starts for traffic lights, changing traffic speeds, and so on.
- Establish guidelines on smoking, eating, drinking, playing the radio or tape deck, and seating arrangements if you do car-pooling.
- Turn ON your headlights – Workers and other motorists must see you
- Make sure objects in the backseat do not inhibit your view from the rear-view mirror.
- Always wear your seat belt. Buckle up and keep children safe in an approved car safety seat installed according to vehicle and car seat manufacturer’s recommendations. Adjust the seat and seat belt to a comfortable position before setting off.
- And dressing appropriately also helps. It may be winter outside but it's 70 degrees in your car, so take the winter jacket off before you start driving. Wear comfortable shoes.
- If you are going to drive at night be sure to carry a reflective vest. IN case of a breakdown, the vest will make you more visible to traffic when you are outside your vehicle.
- Drivers should report an absence of signs, or poor signage, to the appropriate highway department.
Tips for Truck Drivers
- Double your usual following distance. Without it, you won't have time to safely react to warnings or hazards, like debris or potholes that suddenly pop out from under the vehicle ahead.
- Get into the correct lane well in advance, but, where traffic is merging into a single lane, be extremely cautious of unsafe motorists racing to get ahead of slowing traffic.
- Pay close attention to construction equipment while in a work zone. You never know their next move, so be ready to stop.
- Where a temporary median crossover is used, drivers beware: uneven or sloped road surfaces can dramatically affect handling and stability.
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