JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In honor of National Work Zone Awareness Week, the Florida Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to be safe on the roads.
In a construction zone, there is one sound workers never want to hear.
"When you hear the screeching tires and then you hear the crash and you are bracing for impact," says Hampton Ray with the Florida Department of Transportation.
Because what's next could be life or death for the workers nearby if they get struck by a vehicle or debris from a crash.
Sadly, a worker in Levy County was killed while setting up a work zone in January. This is why Ray says it is imperative drivers pay attention and slow down when they approach a work zone.
"It's not only the law to not be on your phone and be hands-free when in a work zone, but also it is the right thing to do and the safe thing to do," he says.
From 2020 to 2023, more than half of work zone crashes were front-to-rear impact crashes, emphasizing the need to be alert behind the wheel.
In addition to lane shifts and traffic pattern changes, keep in mind that in work zones the temporary lighting may not be as bright and the striping may not be as reflective.
Weather conditions like rain or fog can also make it harder to see driving through a work zone.
Ultimately, drivers want to get back to their families safely and so do the workers.
"These are husbands and brothers, fathers, mothers, daughters," tells Ray, "We are all working together to try and get home at the end of the day."