In major cities, there is always some sort of renovation going on. Scaffolding is always stacked against buildings, and road crews in bright orange vests are drilling into the asphalt or adding lanes onto the freeway. Because of all of this change that goes on around us daily, construction zones are a common occurrence. When you approach a construction zone, you can take special precautions to drive safe and avoid an accident. By following these guidelines, you can lower your chances of a construction zone accident.

While construction zones may not seem like the typical scene of a collision, this couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, in one year, 720 motorists were killed while driving through a highway work zone. 85 percent of all construction zone accidents take the life of the driver, not the road workers- who may appear to be in more immediate danger. People who aren't paying attention in a work zone put themselves at risk.

The most important tip for driving in construction zones is to be aware. By looking ahead and noting signs that precede the zone, you will be well aware of what you are driving into. Normally, construction zones are congested with traffic. Many times the road crews will whittle large freeways into one lane roads in order to get their work done. If you are not looking ahead, you may come up on the zone faster than you expected, and find yourself in a precarious situation. Get over long before a lane merge become mandatory, and take all action you can when you see the first sign warning you of construction ahead.

Construction crews are often very careful to warn drivers miles away that they are approaching a work zone. Make sure to make note of these flashing orange signs which are usually set on the freeway shoulder. They often blink brightly in order to get distracted motorists' attention. When you are approaching a construction zone, make sure to slow down. If you know that you will be driving through a work area when you are commuting to work or school, try to leave a bit early to accommodate for the slower speed. Construction sites often come quicker than you think, so reduce your speed as soon as you see warnings of the work zones ahead.

Follow the posted speed limits in the work zone. Many times construction companies will post a bright orange sign that tells you the speed you can maintain when driving through their project. Don't resume your normal speed until you see a sign posted that tells you it is okay to do so. If there is no sign, then wait until you are at least one-half mile away from the accident before your speed up again. In congested construction areas, maintain a large bubble between you and the cars around you.

A good way to make sure that you have a sufficient barrier is to mark a point ahead of you and make sure that there is at least a three second gap between when the bumper of the car in front of you leaves that spot and when your vehicle arrives there. Never try to get around a construction zone by driving on the shoulder of the highway. If you have an impatient tailgater behind you, try to let him pass. If this is not possible, than you should continue driving. Flash your headlights a few times to let them know that you think that they are too close to you. Don't slam on your breaks or retaliate against the drivers around you. Stay calm and collected, because you will be out of the construction zone and back to normal speed soon enough.