How Michigan Road Conditions and Construction Projects Impact Auto Accidents

It will probably come as no surprise that poor road conditions and heavy traffic can contribute to an increase in the number of car accidents that occur on Michigan roads. Our enormous annual crop of potholes… winter’s onslaught of snow and ice… those ubiquitous construction zones… seemingly perpetual highway maintenance problems… improper road design… inadequate signage… and numerous other factors can come into play – confusing even experienced drivers and sometimes leading to tragic crashes statewide.

And in the coming months and years, it’s only going to get worse for drivers in Metro Detroit. You’ve probably heard the joke about Michigan having five seasons – summer, fall, winter, spring, and “orange barrel season.” Well, very soon that last painful “season” is going to feel virtually perpetual, as work begins on several major projects including the monumental two-year-long reconstruction of large sections of I-696 across Oakland County, which also includes repairing and rebuilding 60 bridges and overpasses. That project will impact more than 200,000 drivers every day over its duration. 

And the Detroit-area road work bonanza doesn’t stop there. Another major project involves major road and infrastructure repairs to M-14 at I-96, also slated to take about two years, which will include closures of various ramps to I-275. Altogether more than 125,000 drivers traverse that torturous area on a daily basis.

Then there’s the upcoming work on I-75, closing lanes along with entrance and exit ramps in northern Oakland County. For several painful weeks, drivers will have to contend with only one northbound lane open between Baldwin Road and Clarkston Road, along with intermittent closures elsewhere that will only add to the mess and congestion.

Of course, there will also be the usual vast array of smaller road projects taking place across the state, too, all of which contribute to late arrivals at work, missed little league games, extra hours stuck in traffic, and that general sense of depression you might feel anytime you get into the car to go just about anywhere, any day or night all week long.

But there is a way to avoid some of the pain. For a comprehensive look at ongoing construction projects, the locations of maintenance vehicles and traffic incidents, or other adverse road conditions, you can check MDOT’s MiDrive mapping system, which can help you plan your commute and avoid unnecessary delays. Several helpful options permit you to see spots where roadwork is underway, places with unusually high traffic, areas with reported accidents, and the locations of traffic cameras so you can view road conditions in real-time. There’s even a “speed layer” that depicts current driving speeds – with traffic on green-colored roads reported to be traveling at posted speeds, while orange or red-tinted roads reflect slower-than-usual conditions. But even with the help of this state-of-the-art interactive system, sometimes the unexpected happens and you just happen to get stuck in stopped traffic due to a surprise accident. Where and when this occurs is not just a matter of chance. Let us explain.

What Kinds of Roads See the Most Accidents?

We consulted the experts at the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Reporting Unit to learn more about the types of roads and road conditions that put drivers at greatest risk of being involved in an accident (or stuck in stopped traffic behind a crash scene). Let’s start with a shocking reality: last year, there were more than 298,000 reported traffic accidents across the Great Lakes State. That breaks down to more than 800 crashes every day! Of those, around 210,000 took place in urban areas, and nearly 78,000 were described as happening on rural roads. (The 10,000 or so remaining incidents were on roads that were considered undefined.)

Of the total crashes, around 192,000 happened on non-divided (usually two-lane) roads. Among the remainder, 36,000 were on divided highways with barriers separating lanes traveling in different directions, and another 23,000 took place on divided highways where barriers were not present.

Out of all those accidents, more than 6,400 occurred in work zones – where MDOT employees and contractors were putting themselves at risk while doing their best to keep our roads safe for everyone. The good news is that work zone accidents fell last year from more than 8,000 in 2023. However, with all the major projects already underway in 2025 and continuing into 2026, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that trend reversed in the very near future.

What Happens if You’re Involved in a Work Zone Crash?

You really don’t want to be involved in a collision anywhere, but it’s even worse if it happens when you’re driving in a work zone. As MDOT notes, injuring or killing a highway worker brings stiff penalties – speeding fines are doubled, and you could face up to 15 years in jail, and $7,500 in fines for injuring or killing anyone in a work zone. The most common types of crashes in work zones are rear-end collisions, and it’s likely many of those involve texting while driving, an irresponsible and deplorable action which also happens to be a crime in Michigan.

What About Accidents Caused by Potholes or Other Poor Road Conditions?

As we discussed in another article here, potholes cause enormous damage to vehicles across Michigan every year. Unfortunately, if you’re one of the unlucky drivers who has a close encounter with a cavernous pothole, you most likely can’t recover damages from MDOT or the county road commission due to a longstanding legal protection for governmental entities called “sovereign immunity” – which makes it almost impossible to sue the government.

On the other hand, if a company doing road repairs causes you to get hurt in an accident due to their negligence or bad actions, you may have the right to seek compensation. That’s because Michigan’s no-fault insurance law allows accident victims who suffer “serious impairment of body function” or “permanent serious disfigurement” to sue the individual, company, organization, and their insurance company, for pain and suffering, along with damages for such things as lost wages, unreimbursed medical costs, rehabilitation charges, and related costs. We covered this topic further in another helpful article you might wish to review.

To inform yourself about how to effectively deal with an accident resulting from someone else’s negligence, it’s helpful to know more about Michigan’s policy of determining fault. Our state uses legal concepts called “comparative negligence” and the “51 percent rule” to decide who’s responsible for paying damages in a personal injury lawsuit settlement.

Essentially, the person responsible for 51 percent or more of any crash must pay compensation to the individuals harmed by their negligent actions. Their share of any settlement is determined by the percentage of blame assigned to them by the judge and jury assigned to the personal injury lawsuit. We spelled it all out in greater detail in this comprehensive article.

What to Do in Any Incident Where You’re Hurt

In any type of situation where you’ve been hurt through no fault of your own, you’ll want the best possible legal representation – a firm that is familiar with Michigan law, and how to call appropriate expert witnesses who can speak to how road conditions played a role in the crash. As Michigan’s largest personal injury law firm, we’re well equipped to guide you through the legal process and help you receive the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering. To learn more, all it takes is a simple phone call to 855-MIKE-WINS (855-645-3946), or one quick click of the mouse.