Road Work / Road Construction Zones

As a new driver, I'm greatly frustrated by road work zones - but not for the reason you likely think.

I don't speed. I told my trainers that I'd probably be the slowest driver in the fleet.

My pesky habit of obeying posted speed limits is even more on display in road work zones. Lately on midwest interstates, considerable sections of road under repair or new construction are posted at 55 and sometimes even 45 mph.

My frustration comes at the dilemma I'm placed in by the combination of my driving at the posted limits and other drivers who blissfully ignore them. I am consistently passed by virtually every other vehicle around, even other trucks. Many times I note that I am the ONLY one within line of sight who is driving the speed limit. These vehicles are not passing me by a few mph - they are often moving ten or more mph above my current speed.

I will continue to obey the law, but am concerned about the hazard of being rear-ended by another vehicle in these cases.

Normally, I just apply my hazard flashers, maintain the posted limit, and hope for the best.

How do you more experienced folks handle these conditions?

Why are you worried about what everybody else is doing? Why does it matter to you if they are passing you?

I don't let what others are doing affect how I drive.

Good for you for obeying those work zone speed limits, but please don't use your flashers in a work zone. It's confusing. Typically you can use those flashers when you are going backwards or while climbing a mountain and going way below the speed limit. If you are obeying the work zone speed limit there is no reason to use your flashers.

I just went through 1-70 in Indiana so I feel your aggravation.

As a result of this experience with construction zone speed limits I have developed a theory on the "trucks use left lane" signs. That it is traffic control. If one truck in the left lane goes the speed limit and one car in right lane goes the speed limit then everyone goes the speed limit.

As a new driver, I'm greatly frustrated by road work zones - but not for the reason you likely think.

I don't speed. I told my trainers that I'd probably be the slowest driver in the fleet.

My pesky habit of obeying posted speed limits is even more on display in road work zones. Lately on midwest interstates, considerable sections of road under repair or new construction are posted at 55 and sometimes even 45 mph.

My frustration comes at the dilemma I'm placed in by the combination of my driving at the posted limits and other drivers who blissfully ignore them. I am consistently passed by virtually every other vehicle around, even other trucks. Many times I note that I am the ONLY one within line of sight who is driving the speed limit. These vehicles are not passing me by a few mph - they are often moving ten or more mph above my current speed.

I will continue to obey the law, but am concerned about the hazard of being rear-ended by another vehicle in these cases.

Normally, I just apply my hazard flashers, maintain the posted limit, and hope for the best.

How do you more experienced folks handle these conditions?

I would recommend you pay attention to your driving and not concern yourself with everyone else's driving. You are not Johnny law, can't pull them over, can't write them tickets. All you are doing is getting yourself worked up over nothing. Keep your four ways off. Don't use them in rain either, it's not safe or proper in either situation. If you don't want to speed...great on you. Why would it possibly bother you that someone else chooses to do so? I don't get it. It doesn't (shouldn't at least) affect you in any way whatsoever if either cars or trucks pass you. Perhaps you should educate yourself of the proper use of emergency lights aka four way flashers and mellow out about the other peoples driving habits that don't affect you in any way. Have you considered that some of them may be passing you BECAUSE of their confusion over your hazard lights being on? I wouldn't want to be behind you, they probably don't either. If you can't get the hazard lights right I'd be concerned about what else you might do.

I have developed a theory on the "trucks use left lane" signs. That it is traffic control. If one truck in the left lane goes the speed limit and one car in right lane goes the speed limit then everyone goes the speed limit.

Here's what I think is going on in those work zones where trucks are restricted to the left lane. Check this out next time you are in one of those areas. They are usually in an area where they've shifted the lanes so that the right lane is partially on the former shoulder of the road. The pavement on those shoulders is not designed for extended use by 80,000 pound vehicles. I'm fairly sure that's why they move those trucks over to the left lane.

The pavement on those shoulders is not designed for extended use by 80,000 pound vehicles. I'm fairly sure that's why they move those trucks over to the left lane.

Very interesting Old School, Never thought of the weight issue

I always thought they moved trucks and buses over to the left lane in those areas to keep traffic safely in the lanes. With cattle shoots on both sides, it appears the lanes are more narrow and sometimes they may be. With that in mind, most people in the right lane will tend to fade left to give themselves more room as to not scrape/hit the the barrier on their right and end up riding the line. I figured with trucks and buses being wider then 4 wheelers, having them in the left gives the driver a better view to judge their space from barriers on the left thus keeping them safely in the lane.

I've noticed the areas that instruct trucks to use left lanes either have the shoulder as Old School mentioned, or there's a curve that may pose a proble with your trailer offtracking. It could also be due to the way the road is slanted. In This thread Kearsey shared her experience with it

People are stupid. On I 65 in Indiana, the construction sucked. 55 limit and trucks in left lane. A tanker blew past me and it was raining. He slid off the road sideways and rolled.

I called 911 and turned into the nearest pilot cause i wasnt stopping there. The pilot guy said "yep, its raining. always a rollover there in the rain cause rhe right lane is slanted. that is why the sifn says trucks left."

Also keep in mind that speeding fines are usually doubled in work zones. You are doing the right thing by obeying the posted speed limit.

I also notice there are also trucks use left lane signs in higher traffic areas with a lot of on/off ramps. I assumed it was to keep thru trucks left to leave the right lane open for the frequent merging and exiting of cars. There are probably multiple reasons, all for safety. It's just a shame more trucks don't follow the signs. I don't know if they can't read them, they don't think the rules apply to them, they're rebels or what but there's always trucks driving in the right lane through those areas.

I think some of those areas that shift trucks to the left lane is to protect workers on the right. There is one area, where hwy 95 crosses the Colorado River at the Hoover damn, that has a permanent trucks in left lane area. I was thinking that is because of winds possibly blowing trucks off the bridge if in right lane.