SGI continues to encourage drivers to slow down in the work zone. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Ronald Quaroni

WORK ZONE SAFETY

Prince Albert’s construction zones trending in the right direction

Jul 17, 2019 | 12:44 PM

When it comes to construction zones, the messaging remains the same.

“Slow down. It’s just not worth the 10 seconds you’re going to save,” minister responsible for SGI, Joe Hargrave said.

The MLA for Prince Albert Carlton noted the numbers of collisions and speeding in work zones in and around the P.A. area is trending in the right direction.

“It’s positive that we see on the five-year average, that we’re down, that we’re below the five-year average. People are paying attention,” Hargrave told paNOW. “We’re optimistic that people are out there driving more cautiously. The work zones are there for a reason, we need people to continue to drive slow. We don’t need workers injured while they’re at work, fixing our highways.”

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Following a break-through 2017 that saw P.A. and area work zone incidents drop significantly, 2018 saw a bump in the number of collisions, injuries and convictions.

Construction zone collisions and excessive speed violations table for the the Prince Albert area. (submitted photo/ SGI)

Hargrave encouraged drivers to put themselves in someone else’s work boots.

“People need to realize that it’s real people. People with families, loved ones and children, working in these work zones and how it important it is for us to slow down,” he said.

Hargrave said that P.A.’s overall drop in work zone infractions can mainly be attributed to SGI’s awareness campaign and the introduction of photo radar.

That being said, he explained there is no current plan to introduce a wide scale implementation of photo radar stations in the province.

“Other jurisdictions, other provinces in the country have, you know, a thousand photo radar cameras. We don’t want that; that’s just a money grab,” Hargrave said. “What we want is [cameras set-up in] specific areas.”

Drivers are required to slow down to 60 km/h or the posted speed for the duration of the construction work zone. At the end of the work zone will be a sign notifying drivers they can resume normal speeds.

July’s Traffic Safety Spotlight is work zones, where police are paying special attention to drivers going too fast in the work zone.

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Ron.quaroni@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @RonaldQuaroni