Orange work-zone barrels are appearing all around us, and while construction projects often can lead to traffic delays, we remind everyone about the importance of driving safely through construction zones.

That’s the message being shared once again across the country to remind drivers to be patient, slow down and pay attention in road construction areas.

Work already has started in our area. Municipal workers have been busy patching potholes and making other repairs on city streets; traffic is restricted to one lane on portions of state Route 7 in the Steubenville area; lane restrictions are in place on the Veterans Memorial Bridge; and work continues along state Route 7 in Ohio and state Route 2 in West Virginia as crews put the finishing touches on the new bridge that will connect Wellsburg and Brilliant.

That’s in addition to all of the other work that is expected to take place across the Tri-State Area.

Statistics from across our region show just how dangerous work zone accidents can be.

Nationally, there were 874 total fatal work zones that took the lives of 956 people during 2021, according to the National Workzone Safety Information Clearinghouse.

Ohio, for example, recorded 4,639 crashes in work zones in 2022, 35 percent of which occurred with workers present. Of those, 21 were deadly resulting in 23 deaths. No workers were killed. Since Jan. 1, 2022, there have been 15 workzone crashes in Jefferson County, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. There have been 58 in Belmont County, seven in Columbiana County and one each in Harrison and Carroll counties, the patrol added.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, there were more than 1,293 work zone crashes and 14 fatalities reported in 2022. Since 1970, 90 PennDOT employees have died while on the job, while the Pennsylvania Turnpike has lost 45 workers.

And, during the past five years, West Virginia has seen 1,794 accidents in work zones which have resulted in 15 fatalities, 509 injuries and 1,270 reports of property damage.

It isn’t just major construction projects that create safety concerns. State, county and local highway workers often are seen on the side of roads while making minor improvements.

Throughout the region, traffic laws require motorists to move over a lane for all roadside workers. If they cannot move over, drivers should slow down.

Everyone is on a tight schedule and in a hurry to get from here to there, and that can make a construction zone frustrating. Riding right behind the bumper of the vehicle in front of you, however, won’t result in a quicker trip.

Traffic slows in construction zones for a reason. Construction vehicles often pull onto and off highways, and here workers and heavy equipment operate sometimes just feet from the open lanes of travel.

Drivers have to be alert when traveling through a work zone, and that means allowing enough distance between vehicles so a sudden stop can be made without a collision. That’s especially true in longer work zones — research conducted by the college of engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation shows that work zones more than 1.8 miles long could increase crash risks. The study also showed that road work conducted during the night does not increase the risk of accidents.

Flaggers and construction zone signs warn and advise motorists of what to expect in work zones. Variable speed limits are used in some construction areas. Remember to heed all warnings and follow all posted speed limits — speeding violations in construction zones are several times more expensive than an ordinary ticket.

Area residents like to complain about the condition of roads and bridges.

We ask everyone to remember that work is under way to make needed repairs and improvements — and patience and safe driving go hand-in-hand with the summer road construction season.