We have all seen them: the familiar orange cones and concrete barriers signifying a road construction site. When road construction crops up in our neighborhood or along our commute to work, the resulting traffic slowdown can be frustrating. Many drivers are tempted to drive as fast as possible when the road opens up to get through the construction.

But driving too fast in construction zones puts road workers at risk of serious injury if there is a car accident. The Texas Department of Transportation is marking National Work Zone Awareness week the week of April 23 - 27 by reminding motorists to minimize the risk of injury to construction workers by driving carefully and obeying posted speed limits when encountering road work.

DOT's public information officer recently noted that hundreds of workers have been killed in car accidents in construction zones around the country. Many times, those incidents occur because drivers are not paying proper attention. According to police, a national survey of children found that many parents are not setting a good example behind the wheel.

According to the survey, 53 percent of children have seen their parents eating or drinking while driving through a construction zone. About 42 percent of the children's parents had engaged in other common forms of distracted driving near road construction, such as texting or talking on a cell phone, as well as speeding. Keeping your attention on the road and keeping your speed down will go a long way toward preventing a serious car accident in a construction zone.

From the worker's perspective, since a collision with a car would take place during the course of doing your job, injuries sustained during the accident could entitle you to workers' compensation.

Source: KGNS-TV, "TX D.O.T. Says: No More Accidents in Construction Zones," April 23, 2012