NORFOLK, Va. — Every morning, I wake up and check traffic cameras, focusing on a few specific ones I call my hotspot cameras — most of them are located in construction zones around Hampton Roads.
Areas like I-64 near Harpersville Road are where a lot of incidents have occurred on the Peninsula, specifically, near where that new traffic shift has taken shape.
News 3 talked with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to get some tips on staying safe while driving through traffic shifts or work zones.
“When you’re on the road, please follow posted speed limits, always drive with caution, avoid distractions, like phones,” said Emily Tuttle with VDOT.
It’s no surprise we see incidents rise whenever a new traffic shift takes shape. If you’re used to the same drive every morning, a change in that route can cause some headaches as well as more traffic.
More confusion and more congestion naturally lead to more incidents. But Tuttle says that VDOT is constantly monitoring these shifts to see if any adjustments need to be made.
“We have obviously Virginia 511 traffic cameras on the corridor, so we’re able to look at traffic flow in real time, and then we can go back to our contractor partners to talk about what we’re seeing to make adjustments. It could be small adjustments to the work zone, it could be a change in the phasing,” Tuttle said.
It’s not just that the traffic shift is causing issues, as both sides of the HRBT boast their fair share of crashes. For example, a construction worker was seriously injured after being struck in a work zone earlier this week on I-64 near Indian River Road.
It’s important to remember drivers don’t just need to protect themselves, but also workers and first responders within those traffic shifts.
That’s why you should keep Virginia’s "Slow Down, Move Over" law in mind.
Melanie Clark lost her husband, Brad, a firefighter, in 2018 while he was responding to a vehicle emergency. He was on the side of the road on I-295 during Tropical Storm Michael when he was hit and killed by a tractor-trailer.
“He was able to yell out a warning for his crew, which saved their lives. But unfortunately, in those critical seconds, it cost him his own,” Clark said.
The law itself is pretty self-explanatory. Drivers must either slow down or move over a lane when they see vehicles stopped on the road with indicators like flashing lights and caution signs. The law was recently expanded to not just account for firefighters and police, but tow truck drivers as well.
Drivers who don’t abide by the law can now face a reckless driving charge. Under the prior law, a first offense failure to move over for emergency vehicles was punishable by a $250 fine. But now, convicted drivers face a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, a $2,500 fine and a suspended driver’s license for up to one year if it results in damage to a person’s property.
If it results in injury or death to another person, that license could be suspended for up to two years.
“If the tractor-trailer was in the appropriate lanes, this would’ve never happened,” Clark told News 3.
So, going forward, if you come across a traffic shift, take your time and pack your patience. Take care of your car, and keep an eye out for those vehicles on the side of the road.
By doing these basics, you won’t just reduce the number of incidents, but also the amount of congestion you see in that area. No one likes being stuck in traffic, but it’s better to be safe rather than sorry.
