Highway workers: beware of drunk drivers

A good portion of our nation’s infrastructure relies heavily on the long hours spent by highway workers repairing and maintaining our roadways. Here in Georgia, with our many busy highways, much of this maintenance and repair must be done during the late evening and early morning hours. While these hours are typically quiet on the highway, late night bar patrons and other partygoers may make up a good portion of the traffic. Ideally, each late-night commute is made by a completely sober and wide-awake driver. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. And, many vehicles speeding past road workers may actually be driven by a drunk driver.

According to the CDC, roughly one-third of all traffic-related fatalities in the U.S. in 2014 were caused by drunk drivers. That is almost 10,000 people that lost their lives in alcohol-related car accidents. While it may not be known how many of those fatalities were road workers, any combination of alcohol, speed and bystanders is a bad one. If construction workers are expected to take certain steps to ensure their safety and the safety of others, drivers should as well. The threat of increased fines and penalties may be enough to slow down speeding sober drivers but may not deter many intoxicated drivers.

Individuals that have been injured by a drunk driver or those that have lost a loved one due to the negligence and carelessness of a drunk drivermay benefit by working with an experienced personal injury attorney. With their help, negligent individuals can be held accountable and compensation may be rewarded.