What Are the Top 3 Causes of Work Zone Crashes in Washington?

Construction zones are an unavoidable part of life in Washington, but car crashes in the state’s work zones are not uncommon. While work zones have obvious hazards, such as unusual traffic patterns or visual obstructions, many of the car accidents that take place in Washington work zones are the result of a motorist’s actions or negligence.

Per the Washington State Department of Transportation, there were 283 crashes in Washington work zones in 2021 that caused at least one injury. Of those, 28 of the wrecks involved serious injuries, while five of them proved fatal. The following are three of the top contributors to Washington’s work zone crashes.

1. Speed

Speeding anywhere is dangerous. Speeding in a work zone is especially so and may prove deadly, too. Drivers who speed in work zones become less likely to be able to stop in time and often cause rear-end collisions.

2. Driver inattention

Driver distraction is another frequent factor in work zone car crashes. While phones are a common source of distraction, everything from other passengers to in-vehicle navigation systems has the potential to take a driver’s attention away from the task at hand.

3. Following too closely

Many work zone accidents also result from drivers traveling too closely behind one another. When drivers speed and fail to leave enough room between their own cars and those in front of them, construction zone crashes are a common result.

Drivers who break laws and cause crashes in Washington construction zones may face a wide range of legal sanctions if they cause an injury or fatality.