With the advent of warmer weather, we’re exiting winter (aka pothole season) and entering spring (aka construction season). When workers are on the road, you need to be extra careful when you’re driving along. Not only is it important because you need to keep those workers safe, but also because in most places it’s illegal to speed in work zones and you can get fined much more for doing so. Lanes are also tighter and traffic patterns are much harder to follow. Here are our tips for staying safe in construction zones this spring!

Stay Alert – don’t get distracted by your radio, your passengers, your coffee, your phone, or anything else, especially when you’re driving in a construction zone. Give the road your full, undivided attention.

Keep your headlights on – even during the day, it’s a good idea to switch on your headlights if you don’t have DRL’s.

Did we say pay attention? – Watch for road signs, brake lights, and other vehicles to see if people are slowing down, what the speed limit should be, and other important information about the traffic pattern.

Merge in time – don’t wait until the very last second to merge into the correct lane. If you see a sign that says “Lane Closed Ahead,” then get into the lane that’s going to be open and just stay there. You can zoom past that old lady in a Buick after you pass the construction area. Patience is a virtue!

Don’t tailgate – that being said, don’t be right up that old lady’s tailpipe the entire time you’re stuck behind her. That’s not only rude, it’s illegal.

Obey the speed limit – Sure, you can go fast in some places, but if the work zone speed limit is 45 then slow the heck down and obey the speed limit! There are probably workers on the road working mere feet from where cars are, and you don’t want to get into a really serious accident. Also, ticket fines are doubled for speeding in work zones. So, there’s that as well.

Change lanes safely – don’t drive like a maniac! When you’re still in a construction area, change lanes like you are that old lady in the Buick and be safe about it.

Watch for flaggers and follow their instructions – don’t ignore those people with flags. They have a job to do and you can get ticketed for ignoring flaggers.

Expect the unexpected – work zones are one of the places on this earth where chaos has a tendency to reign, and you should not expect driving in one to be smooth sailing. Trucks, other vehicles, and machinery can enter your lane at any time and you need to be prepared.

PATIENCE IS KEY. This is in caps because it’s important. Be patient. It’ll be good.