In the aftermath of that fatal five-vehicle crash on State Hwy 7 outside Crockett back on July 16, the Texas Department of Transportation is pointing to that accident as proof of the need to be extra cautious and aware in highway construction zones.

 

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TxDOT says there are approximately 15,000 accidents and more than 100 people killed every year in highway construction and maintenance zones.

On average, there is a fatal accident in a highway work zone every ten hours. The usual causes are driving too fast and failing to keep alert.

That's why one in every three work zone crashes is a rear-end collision, like the one near Crockett. It started when a speeding 18-wheeler ran into a line of cars that had slowed in the work zone.  One person was killed and seven others were injured.

Texas has thousands of miles of highways, and that means at any one time there can be more than a thousand highway work zones in operation across the state. So it's impossible to drive anywhere without going through at least one work zone.

It's also worth remembering that fines are doubled for traffic violations in construction zones.  Speeding through a work zone and causing an accident can take a major bite out of your bank account.

 

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