Just this week in Warren County, Millstone road construction worker Jeremy Bagwell was struck and killed by a passing vehicle as he painted new lines on a segment of Indiana 63 near Interstate 74. While it is unclear why the drive drifted into the construction zone and hit the 28-year-old worker, many safety experts say that these road worker accidents are often caused by distracted driving and speeding.

Unfortunately, road construction zone accidents are much more common than you might think. Last year alone, 12 workers were struck and killed by passing traffic in Indiana. In too many of these cases, the construction accidents would never have taken place if not for drinking and driving, driving while distracted, or driving recklessly.

What can you do to help reduce the number of roadwork construction zone accidents in Indiana? Here are just a few quick tips:

•    Always slow down when entering a construction zone, even if you don’t see workers or if it doesn’t appear that the site is active.
•    Keep your attention focused on the road: that means that you hands are on the wheel, your eyes are on the road, and your mind is focused on the task of driving.
•    Don’t tailgate. It can be easy to tailgate through construction sites because of slower speed limits, but make sure to leave room between you and the car in front of you. Tailgating can cause chain-reaction crashes and diminish your visibility.
•    Never drink and drive.