Pilot Cars: Ensuring Safe Navigation

Understand the importance of pilot cars in guiding traffic safely through construction zones and around obstacles.

What is a Pilot Car?

A pilot car is a vehicle used to lead traffic through construction zones, ensuring that drivers navigate safely around obstacles and lane closures.

When to Use a Pilot Car

Pilot cars are particularly useful in situations where visibility is limited or when large vehicles are present, providing clear guidance to motorists.

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ALWAYS YIELD AND SLOW DOWN IN ROAD WORK/CONSTRUCTION ZONES

This is for the safety of you the driver and the safety of the laborers completing road work. It is imperative that you slow down and follow the road signs and/or flaggers to direct you. We know this is a pain, however it is temporary and much more efficient when drivers adhere to road work rules. You are not allowed to speed in work zones. You have to consider equipment, and workers coming in and out of the road. Traffic control is the system put in place to protect all parties involved. Speeding can cause severe damage in a construction zone. The following are the most common road work signs you will see in a road work zone.

ROAD WORK AHEAD SIGNS

ROADWORK AHEAD SIGNS warn the driver that they are approaching a road work area. These signs are put in place to let you know that in the next 500 feet or so, there will be road work. If there is an option to take an alternative route, then you are free to do so. However, if you continue on the current route, you may be held up with the road work that is going on.

BE PREPARED TO STOP

BE PREPARED TO STOP means exactly what it says. This once again reiterates that the road work ahead may cause you to have to stop where there is usually not a stop sign. Flaggers will set up a temporary stop station to control traffic around road work. It is imperative to be aware of your surroundings and drive at a low enough speed to be able to stop without incident.

ONE LANE ROAD AHEAD/LANE CLOSED AHEAD

LANE CLOSURES- approved by the Department of Transportation. It allows companies to shut down a lane or close a lane temporarily to complete work. This is also just as it states. It is to warn you that will more than likely be a delay if you continue to chose this route.

FLAGGER AHEAD

THIS road sign is the last one and sometimes the only one you may see in event of roadwork. If you see this sign it means FLAGGERS AHEAD. They are in place to ensure that you know someone will be in uniform with traffic equipment controlling the traffic around work site. This means please be prepared to yield and follow the flagger’s traffic instructions. This is MOST important in all traffic control setups that pertain to flaggers. In example, when approaching paving sites, it is important that you not drive on wet asphalt. The sticky stuff they use to bind the asphalt can also get on your cars and is a pain to clean off. Rocks from millings of the old road can get lodged in your brakes, just all kinds of things can go wrong if you are speeding through and drive in dry or wet concrete. Its important to not reverse or make sharp turns on fresh asphalt. Please adhere to the flaggers instructions, even if it is an inconvenience. Remember it is temporary and for your safety and for the safety of others.

Pilot Cars: Ensuring Safe Navigation

What is a Pilot Car?

When to Use a Pilot Car

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