The free, 35-minute virtual training program equips participants with the knowledge they need to drive safely through work zones in Pennsylvania.
It covers safe driving practices in work zones, simulates real-life scenarios drivers might encounter, and explains work zone laws.
Work zones can be hazardous for both drivers and workers, but by understanding our state's work zone laws, we can prepare Pennsylvanians to safely navigate the road ahead.
What will I learn in this course?
The New Driver Work Zone Safety Program teaches drivers about many important safety aspects of work zones, including:
- Safe driving behaviors
- Work zone signage and devices
- Work zone characteristics
- Navigating lane closures and merging
- PA work zone laws and regulations
- What to do if you break down in a work zone
- And more!
Work Zone Safety Info & Resources
- PennDOT Work Zone Safety
- Distracted Driving Isn’t a Game
- Go Orange PA
- Approved Driver Education Programs
- End Distracted Driving
- PA’s Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras Program
- National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse
- Work Zone Safety Tips from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Work zones conditions are often very different than typical driving conditions. This makes the road you are used to traveling feel foreign and unpredictable, like driving in a new city!
Work zones include everything from sudden slowdowns to temporary signs and lane changes that can surprise drivers on their regular routes. These dynamic areas can even change multiple times throughout the day!
When driving through a work zone, slow down and don't assume you know what's around the next bend.
Even when no work is happening, you'll often see signage and closed lanes in a work zone. This is because it isn't feasible or efficient to remove the work zone and signs every time work is paused. Barriers, cones, and barrels could also be protecting motorists from drop-offs or construction equipment on the side of the road!
By keeping a work zone in place, the job gets done more efficiently and returns the road to typical conditions sooner for all drivers.
Rear-end crashes from running into slow or stopped vehicles are the most common type of crash in a work zone. These crashes can be fatal if drivers are not paying attention or driving too fast to slow down in time. That's why staying alert and watching for brake lights in front of you is important.
When you start slowing down, turn on your hazard lights and watch for vehicles approaching behind you. Always leave enough room between you and the vehicle in front of you to react in case approaching vehicles are distracted and don't slow down in time.
There are several ways drivers can get speeding tickets in work zones, even if they don't see a police vehicle nearby! The Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras program is a joint effort between PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike that uses vehicle-mounted systems to detect the speed of passing vehicles. Any motorist excessively speeding is mailed a notice of violation. There are also times when Pennsylvania State Troopers will sit inside construction vehicles to watch for speeding drivers.
Typically, when an emergency vehicle is behind you with its lights on, you would pull over to the side of the road so it can pass. However, in a work zone, there is often no or very little shoulder to try to pull over to.
When driving through a work zone, continue to drive the work zone speed limit and move over to the right lane as soon as you can. If the work zone is only one lane, stay in the lane until you exit the work zone. Do not pull into an emergency pull-off area, and do not pull over into the work area.
You may have noticed a lot of roadwork happens at night. For every construction project, engineers determine when the work can be done. Nighttime work is common on busy freeways to limit the impact during higher-traffic times like morning and evening rush hours. However, working at night can be more dangerous for both workers and drivers. This is why it's critical to always stay alert and follow the work zone speed limit to keep everyone safe!