Driving Through Construction & Work Zones

Traveling Through Construction & Work Zones: City Driving Strategies

Updated Dec. 11, 2020

While driving in the city, you may encounter construction zones or detours marked out with warning signs and signaling devices. These are in place to guide road users and pedestrians safely around the work zone. Always reduce your speed when approaching a construction or maintenance area on the road, as there may be workers moving around on foot.

Construction zone rules
Prepare for detours

Construction zone rules

Keep the following safety information in mind, when approaching or driving through a work zone:

1
One or more lanes may be closed off to traffic.
Look out for orange cones marking off closed lanes. There may also be “LANE CLOSED” signs. Never drive across a row of orange cones in a construction area.
2
Flashing signal arrows may be present, indicating whether you should move left or right before reaching a closed lane.
3
Merge to an open lane as early as possible when approaching a closed-off work zone.
4
Do not stop your vehicle or slow down to watch activity in a construction zone.

To reflect the great risk of injury that road workers are subjected to, fines and penalties for offenses committed in construction zones are often doubled. This applies in many states, though you should check your state’s own driving manual for local rules and restrictions.

Prepare for detours

Detours may be set up to divert traffic away from construction zones or parts of the road that have been deemed unsafe. Temporary detours are often established around traffic accidents and collisions. Drivers must always scan the road ahead and look out for detours when traveling around the city. It is best to change lanes as soon as possible when you spot a detour ahead. Though, you must do so with caution and without presenting a hazard to other road users.

Keep in mind that the speed limit and other driving rules may be altered around the detour. This will be made evident with temporary signs and signaling devices. Construction zones and detours are easy to navigate if you remain alert to the movements of other motorists, potential hazards, obstructions and warning signs.

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Driving in Residential Neighborhoods

Motorists are generally exposed to far less danger when driving in residential neighborhoods, than they are when driving in a city or on a major highway. Nevertheless, the risk of being involved in an accident or collision in a residential neighborhood is high – particularly when traveling close to home.

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Special Use Lanes

One of the first things you must learn when driving in residential, suburban and urban neighborhoods is that not all traffic lanes are designed to be used in the same way. To increase public safety and minimize congestion, “special use” lanes and road features, such as one-way streets, center left turn lanes, reversible lanes and roundabouts are present in some areas.

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Parking Risks

Searching for a parking spot amid crowded road conditions can lead drivers to behave less courteously and safely than they would usually. It is easy to overlook road rules and become frustrated with other drivers, when competing with many other motorists for just a handful of parking spaces.

Review

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Driving in Different Environments

Mastering vehicle control is not the only battle you will face while learning to drive. Student drivers must learn to adjust their driving behavior and new-found vehicle control skills to suit different driving environments and mitigate the risks which accompany them. The type and level of danger you are exposed to while driving can change dozens of times over in a single, short journey.

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Risk in Driving Environments

The challenges you face when driving depend heavily on the type of road you are using and whether that road is in an urban or rural environment. As part of your driver's training, you must learn to identify the risks linked to each driving environment and act preemptively to avoid danger. Different driving environments fall into one of four graded risk classifications: controlled, low, moderate and complex.

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Driving in The City

New drivers often do not realize what a challenge city driving can pose. You may not be traveling at high speeds when driving around a busy, metropolitan area, but you will none-the-less be afforded very little time to spot and react to hazardous situations. It is very easy to become distracted and make dangerous mistakes while driving alongside so many other motorists, pedestrians, buses, delivery vans and cyclists, in such close quarters.

Urban Driving 2 of 5

City Driving Hazards

There are few driving environments more challenging than busy, urban areas. When driving in the city, you must safely share the road with all kinds of traffic and pedestrians. In addition, you will be dealing with a wide variety of obstacles and traffic control devices. There is so much information to process while driving in the city, hazards are often overlooked.

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City Driving Strategies

With so many other road users and hazards to contend with, driving in the city can be stressful and dangerous. Safe city driving relies on your ability to spot hazards and react to them appropriately. With appropriate training, you can make sure you always have time to avoid an accident.

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Dealing with Congested Traffic

City traffic is at its worst during early morning and late afternoon rush hours. Maintaining a safe space around your vehicle is practically impossible during these high-congestion periods. In this situation, you can expect traffic to be moving extremely slowly and stopping often. Vigilance is the key to preventing gridlock.