Your daily travel can pose risks such as sudden lane closures, detours or congestion caused by ongoing roadwork or traffic incidents.
When you are in a rush, you might skip checking road conditions. However, that decision can lead to delays or dangerous situations. Planning ahead may help you reduce disruptions and keep you safer on Virginia roads.
Start with reliable travel tools
Before heading out, explore the tools available to help you make wise trip choices. Virginia provides several free traffic advisory resources that display road closures, construction updates and real-time traffic speeds. Each one serves a specific need depending on where and how you travel:
- 511Virginia: Provides live traffic camera feeds, estimated trip times and incident reports statewide.
- VDOT’s Travel Center: Offers detailed construction updates, scheduled lane closures and weather-related alerts.
- HRBT Expansion Alerts: Publishes ongoing project-related lane shifts, detours and weekly traffic advisories near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
Quickly checking of any of these tools before your trip may help you avoid delays and accidents.
Prepare for every type of road user
Virginia roads serve more than drivers alone. Bicyclists, pedestrians and freight operators also share the road and face changing conditions. Ideally, everyone on the road should stay alert promote safety and well-being for all. One way to achieve this is by reviewing route-specific resources:
- Sidewalk and crosswalk maps that show pedestrian-only areas and school zones
- Bike lane maps that display road sharing zones and separate bike paths
- Freight route maps with bridge clearance data, weight limits and delivery time rules
- Park and Ride details including location access, open hours and capacity limits
These pieces of information can help you avoid encountering last-minute changes, route violations or risky paths.
Make safety your daily habit
Incorporating traffic awareness into your daily life is not just smart; it is essential. With access to current traffic data, you can choose smarter routes and take actions to get around roadway hazards that may sometimes cause accidents. If that happens, you may have the option to pursue a personal injury claim.
