An incident earlier this week in a work zone in Oakland Township is an example of why it’s so important to be cautious in construction zones.

As noted in the Wednesday, April 30, edition of the Butler Eagle, Zane R. Everetts, 19, of Chicora, a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation worker, sustained a suspected minor injury after being struck by a vehicle while in an active construction zone around 10 a.m. Tuesday.

State police said a 71-year-old hit Everetts while he was attempting to turn north onto Chicora Road. The driver was charged with failure to yield to authorized persons in a construction zone.

Thankfully, Everett’s injuries didn’t even require a trip to the hospital, but that could easily have turned out differently.

According to statistics from the National Workzone Safety Information Clearinghouse, there were an average of about 120 road workers killed annually between 2013 and 2022. More than half those were killed by a driver going through the work zone.

Construction can change the traffic patterns on familiar roads, which can lead to incidents where someone gets hurt. But there is an easy solution.

The best plan is to always drive slowly and pay attention in a construction zone. Doing so could very well save a life.

— JK