If you live in California, traffic congestion is probably a daily occurrence for you. It’s no surprise when you get stuck in a traffic jam or held up as other drivers rubberneck to look at an accident as they pass. That’s why car accidents and traffic-related injuries are such a huge worry for all those who share the roads — the numbers seem to grow year by year.
If you or a loved one have been injured due to the negligence of another driver, it is essential to contact a personal injury focused law firm to understand your legal options and get someone who will fight for the compensation you deserve. Read on to find out more about what the state is doing to diminish traffic-related injuries.
Main Initiatives by the California Department of Transportation
Looking out for the safety of both pedestrians and those in vehicles, the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has been implementing a series of measures. Among them:
High-Friction Surface Treatments
Roadway departures and head-on collisions are both responsible for an increasing number of roadway injuries and deaths. To decrease the number of these incidents, Caltrans has been applying high friction surface treatment to specific roadways to give drivers optimal control of their vehicles in both wet and dry conditions.
Intersectional Control Evaluation Workshops
These workshops have the intended objective of increasing the skills and knowledge to handle the most dangerous intersections in the city. Specifically, those where the largest number of accidents and fatalities take place.
Barrier Technology for Motorcyclists
Motorcycle riders are the group most exposed to risk while sharing the road with other larger and heavier vehicles. With this in mind, Caltrans has pinpointed several locations where motorcycle accidents tend to happen and installed enhanced barrier technology in those areas to protect riders.
Work Zone Safety
Caltrans workers are a particularly vulnerable group, especially when they are out on the roads fixing pavement, placing barriers, or doing a variety of repair and safety initiatives. For this reason, the state has implemented the Road Repair and Accountability Act. In this act, three new work zone safety initiatives have been implemented starting in 2019.
These include reducing the allowed speed in areas where work is being carried out, blocking off additional space between workers and surrounding traffic, and expanding work windows to give work crews more flexibility to work safer and get the projects finished faster and with more reliable quality. This ensures workers do not have to constantly be vigilant of traffic that may hit them at any time.
Stay updated with all the insights.
Navigate news, 1 email day.
Subscribe to Qrius
