Hazard No. 1:
The increased traffic on our roads is an unmistakable hazard of summer driving.
Estimates predict a new record high for vehicle miles traveled in 2019, likely due to low fuel prices and economic activity. Traffic delays and detours caused by road construction can make traffic snarls worse. It is important for drivers to be patient and alert, and to share the road.
To ensure the highest safety in
work zones, drivers should:
Hazard No. 2: Motorcycles on the Move
As the number of motorcycles on the road increases, so does the opportunity for motorcycle crashes. There are more motorcycles on the road now than a decade ago.
Drivers should consider the following when sharing the road with motorcycles:
- Be extra aware: Motorcycles can be difficult to see and can disappear in your blind spot. Also, it can be easy to misjudge a motorcycle's speed.
- Look twice to make sure a motorcycle is a safe distance from your vehicle.
- Follow motorcycles at greater distances, as motorcycles can stop more quickly than automobiles.
Hazard No. 3: Bicyclists Can Be Hard to Predict
Like motorcycles, bicycles can be difficult to see, and they can be even more vulnerable in a crash. The majority of cyclists who are injured or killed are adults, with 70 percent of those fatalities occurring in urban environments.
Bicycle rider intentions can be hard to predict if they do not follow traffic rules or use hand signals.
To keep bicyclists safe:
Hazard No. 4: Distracted Pedestrians
Extra daylight and warmer temperatures bring people outside and onto roadways. Distracted walking by people focused on their mobile devices only heightens the dangers of the most vulnerable people on the road: pedestrians.
To ensure the safety of pedestrians, drivers should:
- Watch out for pedestrians at night, especially in urban areas.
- Stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk-pedestrians could be crossing the road.
- Look for pedestrians more than once before turning.
- Watch for pedestrians who might be distracted while walking, as distracted walking has been a factor in some incidents.
There are other types of summertime driving risks to consider as well, such as recreational drivers who are unfamiliar with local roads and young drivers who may lack experience behind the wheel. In addition, summer vacationers may be driving overloaded vehicles with obstructed windows, and drivers may be sleep-deprived from longer days and activities that stretch into the night.
What's more, summer weather, including
heavy wind, rain
and
fog, can also rival the challenges posed during a winter storm. Help drivers prepare for these and other summertime hazards. Let employees know that
getting there safely-and back home again-is their most important responsibility on the road.
