Car Slams Into Work Zone Barrier on New York Highway

Another work zone accident that could have been avoided.

It seems like once a week New York drivers get a "stark" reminder of how dangerous it can be when drivers don't pay attention and follow New York's "Move Over" law while driving through a highway work zone.

New York's Move Over Law

The Move Over law has been in effect for many years and requires drivers to use "due care" when approaching all stopped vehicles on the roadway including police vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, construction and maintenance vehicles, and tow trucks. The law requires drivers to slow down or move over as soon as they see lights, vests, or reflectors, on either side of the roadway.

SEE ALSO: New Yorkers Caught Doing This Will Now Pay a 1,500 Fine

Just last week the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) shared a terrifying video of a driver in Broome County, NY not following the Move Over Law and crashing into a DOT vehicle and almost striking a New York State highway worker. This week the DOT shared another example of what happens when drivers don't pay attention on its Facebook page.

Car Slams Into Work Zone Barrier

This recent work zone crash happened in Warren County, NY while a road crew was working on the left side of the highway in Upstate New York. As you can see in the pictures the vehicle slammed into one of the NYSDOT "attenuators" and came to a rest on its roof. The attenuators (barrier) are put in place to protect workers and in this incident performed to perfection.

Thankfully the driver walked away with only minor injuries, and the DOT crew members were unharmed. Unfortunately, this type of outcome is not always the end result according to the DOT,

"Not every outcome is this fortunate. This crash is a stark reminder that it takes just one second of distraction to create a dangerous situation. We ask drivers to #SlowDown, #MoveOver, and #StayAlert in work zones."

 

The DOT has a simple request from drivers, "Let’s work together to protect each other on the road—lives depend on it." Slow down, move over, and stay alert in work zones!