DOT Urges Drivers To Stay Safe This Summer

Plan ahead, drive alert and watch for work zones.

That’s the advice to motorists from the Georgia Department of Transportation as an active summer construction season gets into full swing with projects beginning or underway throughout the state.

To minimize traffic delays, the Department said it seeks to make the road work as non-disruptive to motorists as possible.

The DOT said that weather permitting and in most cases, lane closures are limited to times of lighter traffic volume, like overnights Monday through Thursday and weekends.

With more orange cones on the roadways this summer, the DOT said work zone safety is a primary concern, for construction workers, and for motorists, who are often the victims in work zone crashes.

Officials reminded drivers that work zones are not always stationary and moving maintenance activities like litter pickup, mowing, sweeping and drainage will also be in operation over the summer months and should be approached like any other work zone.

The DOT said people should slow down; allow extra distance between vehicles; read signs; obey road crew flaggers; and expect the unexpected.

Also, with the heavy summer construction season comes an increase in driving.

Since the beginning of the year, traffic fatalities are up substantially in Georgia with many of these deaths attributed to distracted driving.

Georgia DOT said its “DriveAlert ArriveAlive” campaign implores motorists to take responsibility for their driving behavior.

The campaign calls on people to buckle up, stay off mobile devices while driving and drive alert.