Governor Phil Bredesen is teaming up with various states across the nation to help kick off National Work Zone Awareness Week. Bredesen hopes this campaign will help reduce the risk of Knoxville trucking accidents and car accidents in congested work zones.
Government officials will be teaming up with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to organize events throughout the state in an attempt to emphasize the importance of safe driving throughout the construction and maintenance zones on our interstates and highways, according to the Tennessee Government.
Our Knoxville personal injury lawyers urge you to be extra cautious when traveling through these work zones as safe, alert driving may be your greatest defense against a potentially fatal work zone accident. As spring dawns, we can expect to see more and more orange barrels and safety cones on the state’s highway and byways. With these projects in full swing and lanes being altered and narrowed, , truckers and other motorists will be at increased risk of accidents.
“As we head into the busy construction season, motorists will encounter more maintenance workers, utility personnel, and construction workers on Tennessee’s roadways,” said Governor Haslam. “I want to remind all drivers to stay alert and focused and exercise caution and patience when driving through work zones across the state. Doing so will help ensure everyone stays safe.”
According to Tennessee’s Department of Safety and Homeland and Security, Tennessee lost the l100 lives because of highway work zone crashes in the last 3 years. These statistics have prompted TDOT officials to launch a new “Merge Left” project, excepted to get underway in the next few months. Nearly 20 fatalities resulted from work zone accidents in Tennessee alone in 2009, according to The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse. The United States saw almost 700 work zone crash fatalities.
“It is a simple concept for drivers, but one that we hope will save lives and help relieve construction related backups on our highways and interstates,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “We will be designing the entrance of many new work zones to flow to the left. This will create consistency throughout the state. Drivers will know which way to go, and what to expect. Merge left and merge early.”
If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a trucking accident in Tennessee, contact Hartsoe Law Firm, P.C. for a confidential appointment to discuss your rights with our Knoxville injury lawyers and Maryville accident attorneys. Call (877) 472-5657.