Daily Herald opinion: Slow down, stay safe: With fatal work zone crashes up, drivers need extra caution amid road construction

Road construction season in Illinois tests the patience of even the most cautious drivers, but navigating torn-up highways, ever-changing lane closures and clusters of orange traffic cones can be more than stressful. It can be deadly.

As our Marni Pyke reported earlier this week, fatal construction zone crashes have spiked, and state transportation officials are asking for the public’s help in preventing that number from growing.

Last year, 35 people died in work zone collisions — an increase of 22 fatalities from 2024 — according to Illinois Department of Transportation preliminary data. None of the deaths involved workers.

An average of 6,195 construction zone collisions occur each year in Illinois, leading to 1,073 injuries, IDOT added. And those numbers don’t include numerous close calls and near misses.

Odd road configurations, massive construction trucks and angry commuters running late can make driving in construction zones hazardous enough. Add in distractions and the danger increases drastically.

Tollway equipment operator/laborer Benjamin Joslun spoke at a recent safety briefing in Bensenville marking National Work Zone Awareness Week.

He described all sorts of troubling scenarios and scary driver behaviors:

“On the phone. Not paying attention. Driving too fast. Swerving in and out of traffic — because they’re upset because they left five minutes too late and now they’re trying to make up for time.”

Joslun and others at the briefing reminded drivers to watch out for the men and women at construction sites scattered across local roads and busy highways.

“We are mothers. We are fathers. Brothers and sisters. Aunts and uncles,” Joslun said. “All we’re asking for people to do is just to slow down.”

It’s a reasonable ask and an important first step, but there’s more drivers should do:

• Note construction zone speed limits and stay within them, going even slower when necessary.

• Keep your eyes on the road and be alert for unexpected lane configurations and changes. What was open one day may be closed the next.

• Leave space between you and the car in front of you.

• Avoid distractions when you drive. Set your cellphone aside and don’t let other diversions — whether it’s your dashboard information system or squabbling kids in the back seat — pull your focus off road conditions.

• Make use of your side and rear-view mirrors to monitor what’s coming your way.

• Build in extra time to get to your destination and give yourself time to react in changing road conditions.

• Buckle up and insist that your passengers do the same to avoid injuries or worse in the case of a crash or sudden stop.

Please be careful out there — for your own sake and for the safety of those around you.