Whenever drivers are on the road, there are standard rules of the road they have to follow. On roads with construction zones, there are an additional set of rules. Check out this guide to learn about the rules of the road when driving through construction zones.

Don’t Drive Over the Designated Speed Limit

While this is a standard rule of the road for safety, it is especially important to follow this rule near a construction site. Not following this rule could lead to one or more of the following incidences.

• Colliding with another car
• Breaking a tire
• Running into a pedestrian or a construction worker
• Damaging a construction site

Pay Attention to Construction Signs and Obstacles

In addition to following the speed limit, construction signs must be obeyed for your safety. Pay attention to orange diamond signs that say, “Road Work Ahead”. These signs warn you to prepare for a construction site coming up. After you see the signs, do not take your eyes off the road—As you’re driving, you might notice construction workers, folding barricades, other types of road signs, and speed bumps or humps. Missing any of these things could cause you to break more safety rules and potentially injure yourself or others.

Watch Out for Obstacles

Just like the standard safety rules require you to stop or slow down for pedestrians, you must stop or drive slowly when you see signs and cones. Even if a cone is short enough for your vehicle to drive over it, do not do this. Cones are there to keep you, other drivers, construction workers, and construction sites safe. Driving over them might cause you to move them. Even if they move just a little bit, they could fall into the middle of a lane. This will be very unsafe for other drivers.

Be patient with other drivers

No matter what the road conditions are like, you will run into a lot of traffic at times. It can be easy to get frustrated, especially when you are in a hurry. But remember that other drivers are experiencing the same traffic as you. All drivers are trying to be careful. Far down the road, there might have been an accident, or there might be a large construction zone. For everyone’s safety, it is important for you to stay calm and have patience with the traffic.

Appreciate the Benefits of Rules

Rules for driving through a construction zone exist to protect all drivers. Without them, there would be a lot of accidents and confusion for drivers. There would also be more messes because of damaged construction zones. Even though the rules can be difficult to follow at times, they ultimately save lives. The inconveniences are less important than your safety and your lives.

These are the general rules of the road when driving through construction zones. However, every state, province, and territory has slightly different rules. So it is important to know the rules of your exact location.