Authorities in New Hampshire are urging all drivers to slow down and pay attention in construction zones after the number of accidents at construction sites doubled this year compared to the same period last year.

In response to a significant increase in incidents, transport authorities have issued a travel warning for the summer.

Summer is traditionally the busiest time for road and bridge work in New Hampshire, and officials hope they can prevent those numbers from increasing in the coming months.

“In 2023, we had 11 accidents at this time,” said Richard Arcand of the Ministry of Transport. “To date, we have had 22 accidents in the work zone.”

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Authorities said they had a rough idea of ​​the causes of most of the accidents.

“It's a combination of speed, distracted driving and driving under the influence,” said Lt. Brian Viglione of the state police.

Authorities said it was difficult for them to know what had changed in the past year, but they knew what drivers could do to help ensure safety.

“Put your phone away, concentrate on driving and please slow down in construction zones,” said Arcand.

Any Charbonneau of Continental Paving said she feels responsible for the safety of her workers and wants people to remember that lives are at stake.

“We take our safety seriously,” Charbonneau said. “We want our people to feel comfortable at work. We want them to go home every night, so we're just saying slow down and be aware of contract workers trying to do their jobs.”

According to a survey of highway workers conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation, nearly half felt they were at increased risk at work.