Whether you’ve noticed or not, it’s coming. It comes this time every year – road construction. Flaggers will appear with signs that say ‘STOP’ on one side and ‘SLOW’ on the other (not sure why they call them ‘flaggers’ anymore since they don’t actually use flags anymore).

You’ll also see more of those intrusive species – the road horses and hazard cones dotting the highways. And in among them, along with rock crushers, road graders, bulldozers, asphalt spreaders, etcetera, you’ll see those two-legged creatures of the species homo sapiens. This particular family of the species are easily identified by their fluorescent plumage. 

You don’t want to hit the road cones or the road-construction equipment because of what it will do to your car. You really, really don’t want to hit one of the roadworkers because of what it can do to your liberty, wallet and peace of mind. 

When you come upon a flock of road workers and their various utensils, you’re asked to slow down. This is a good idea – a very good idea. The two-legged critters are known to move about suddenly. Often, they are so focused on feathering their asphalt or concrete nest that they can inadvertently move into the path of passing vehicles.

The penalty for hitting a road worker can include an extended stay in prison and up to a $25,000 fine. That doesn’t include the price paid by your conscience.

One way to avoid the risk is to slow down. Another way is to avoid road construction, wherever possible. To help in that endeavor, the State of Illinois has provided a Website with a list of road construction projects: https://apps.dot.illinois.gov/roadconstructionpermits/roadConstructionReport.htm

It’s recommended that you do a word search for the communities you’ll pass through or near as the list is quite extensive, especially this time of year.