The summer months are the busiest times for road and highway construction, so the government is asking all motorists to slow down and drive safely in work zones.
“The message we always push is to do your due diligence, watch for signs and be cognizant of workers,” said Sonja Orban with Highways and Infrastructure. “We’ve introduced a number of safety measures such as increased signage, legal black and white regulatory limits, and photo enforcement.”
Three years ago, the government made changes to speed limits in work zones. Where before it was just a suggestion, now it’s mandatory. In fact, tickets for speeding infractions in work zones are triple the amount of regular speeding tickets when workers are present. They start at $210 and increase for every kilometre over the posted speed limit. If it’s more than 35 kilometres, there will be additional penalties.
“While the financial costs are significant, the real costs are impacts on human life,” Minister responsible for SGI Don McMorris said in a government news release. “Aggressive driving in work zones not only puts motorists and their vehicles at risk, it also needlessly endangers the lives of workers and other road users.”
To emphasize the importance of obeying the speed limit, the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, provincial law enforcement, and Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) are partnering to focus on work zones for July’s traffic safety spotlight. This means that there will be increased focus on speeding and aggressive driving in work zones.
“The perception of workers (in construction zones) is that generally there are drivers that speed through work zones and that impacts their safety,” said Orban. “They want to focus on work, but it’s hard when they have to watch our for speeders.”
Not only is it distracting, it’s also dangerous. According to SGI, the average costs associated with work zone collisions comes to about $2.4 million and includes property damage and bodily injury claims. This number applies to both municipal and highway work zones.
Initial numbers for last year show that there were 201 collisions that resulted in 48 injuries and at least 774 speeding convictions.
“It’s really paying attention and speeding that’s the biggest cause for concern,” said Orban. “Most near misses are a result of drivers not paying attention.”
The government has posted these tips when driving:
• Slow to 60 km/hr when passing highway workers, flag people or equipment occupied by a worker, within signed work zones, or when passing equipment with amber warning lights on.
• Avoid distractions and be on alert for workers and other road hazards.
• Be proactive by becoming aware of potential work on your route beforehand and allow extra travel time to get to your destination.
• Remember that traffic rules and speed limits apply to both highway and municipal work zones, even when workers are not present.
Some cities have bylaws requiring drivers to obey work zone speed limits through the entire construction area, so be familiar with the bylaws in your area.
