Caltrans has decided to lower speed limits in a construction zone on Interstate 80 in north Roseville, according to a recent report. The decision was made due to the recent rise in accidents along the interstate.
Reports show more than three dozen recent accidents occurring in the construction zone area of the highway. Caltrans spokesman Dennis Keaton announced the speed limit would be lowered from 65 to 55 miles per hour. Eastbound lanes along the 10-mile construction project will have new speed limit signs.
Pavement along the highway needed to be replaced, so crews started shifting lanes to tear up the pavement in July. Since then, there have been 38 accidents. Keaton said that he believes the 10-mile-per-hour speed decrease will reduce the number of crashes seen in that area.
Regardless of whether drivers agree with this change, the new limit will be applied to the entire zone, including slow lanes and both express lanes. Chad Hertzell, an officer with the CHP, said any drivers caught going even 65 miles per hour could be fined up to $600.
Work Zone Injuries And Fatalities
According to one study, 87,606 crashes that occurred in work zones were reported, accounting for 1.6 percent of total roadway crashes in 2010. While 1.6 percent does not seem like a particularly large amount, reports show that there were 37,476 injuries and 576 fatalities in work zones in 2010. That means that every 14 minutes, someone was injured in a work zone due to a crash, and every 15 hours someone was killed.
While injuries and fatalities are incredibly serious, the majority of work zone crashes, 69 percent in 2010, only caused property damage to some kind. 30 percent of these crashes caused injuries and .6 percent caused fatalities. The number of overall work zone crash fatalities have also been decreasing each year. In 2008, there were 720 fatalities, which decreased 20 percent to 667 fatalities in 2009.
How To Pick Up The Pieces From Your Auto Accident
Accident rates can rise and fall in an area for any number of reasons, from construction to plain negligence of a driver. Injuries you can sustain in an auto accident, whether in your car or working at a construction site, can often completely alter your life and may include effects beyond the physical injuries you sustained.
If you live in the Roseville area and you or someone you love has been injured in an auto accident due to someone else’s negligence, you may want the help of the Ashley Injury Lawyers. The attorneys you will find at the Ashley Injury Lawyers have over 50 years of combined legal experience. Call now for a free case evaluation to see if the Ashley Injury Lawyers can help you with your case.
