The weather is warming up and those winter potholes are getting bigger by the day. What does that mean? Construction season is nearly upon us! When you’re driving down the road, the chance is getting more and more likely that you’ll come across some folks improving our infrastructure, and you’ll need to drive extra safely around them. Not just because of the laws surrounding driving in a construction zone – but because there are people in the road and you just need to have the common courtesy to drive carefully! Here are our tips on driving safely in a work zone!

• Pay attention to the road. Don’t be distracted by things on the road or in your car, like your music or passengers. Make sure that all of your attention is on the road and the signs, as well as any traffic pattern changes or sudden stops in front of you.

• Make sure your headlights are on!

• Watch the other cars on the road with you – other drivers can be unpredictable, so you should be prepared for anything to happen.

• Merge when and where you should. Don’t wait until the last minute – this can be dangerous and puts you at a high risk of getting into a collision.

• Don’t tailgate other cars. Work zones should also be called “sudden stop” zones because people are definitely more liberal with the brakes than they would be elsewhere.

• Watch for speed limit signs and obey them. The speed limit can change several times, and if you get caught speeding through a work zone, the fines can be steep.

• Only change lanes when it’s safe to do so. I don’t know if you’ve gotten this part yet, but other drivers in work zones are unpredictable juggernauts.

• If you see a worker with a flag, follow their instructions.

• Have patience, not only with yourself but with other drivers and the workers on the road. You need to get to where you’re going, sure, but it’s better to be a little late and safe than never get there at all.

• Expect anything, because anything could happen.