Road construction season is here, and with warmer weather in Saskatchewan, work zones may also begin to establish themselves on the side of the road.
Brydon Brunsch, operations manager for Brad’s Towing, said they are looking for people to slow down when the lights are on and the pylons are off.
“Because there is still someone working on the side of the road, right? So they’re trying to set up a safe work zone so they can get in and move the truck, or whatever they’re loading. So we’re asking people to slow down, give us the minutes we need to do the work we need to do, and get out.”
Brunsch said people speeding up when trying to do their jobs happen too often.
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“That happens regularly. No matter what road or highway you are on, there are always some people who go too fast. Try to get enough pylons out, have your work lights on, and give people plenty of notice.
“A lot of people haven’t been stranded on the side of the road, they don’t realize what it’s like to have a vehicle zoom past you 100 kilometers away when you’re standing there.”
SGI’s Tyler McMurchy said impatience is a problem for some drivers.
“If you had to put it in the context of if your desk was located within a few feet of passing vehicles, you would want those vehicles to be traveling at an appropriate speed to make sure they keep everyone safe.”
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McMurchy noted that speeding in construction zones is the largest category of speeding ticket and can cost drivers more than $1,000 and three demerit points.
He added that there have been an average of 1,400 speeding tickets written in work zones per year for the last three years.
Michael Brenholen, director of operations for the St. John Ambulance, which teaches highway safety, said people who work along highways need to stay safe.
“One of the things we emphasize is that you can’t trust anyone to do the right thing. So you need to stay safe and be aware of the situation,” Brenholen said.
“You can do your best, but motorists tend to get distracted. Especially in an emergency scene, they’re interested in seeing what’s going on, so they’re not paying as much attention as they should to the safety of people in the area.”
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