REGINA — With summer travel and summer events getting into full swing in Saskatchewan, officials are urging motorists to pay extra attention to work zones in both urban and rural areas.
Kim Gartner, minister of highways, spoke of the importance of keeping an eye out for road construction and flag persons on the job.
“So please remember this safety message when driving, pay attention, be alert, slow down, drive to current road conditions and obey all flag persons and signage whether you are on a highway or on an urban street," said Gartner.
“Everyone on the road is someone's friend, neighbour, son, daughter, parent or grandparent. Protect them by doing your part so everyone gets home safely. Please also check the Highway Hotline before hitting the road. Saskatchewan's road information system has details about work zones, ferry crossings, closures and incidents. It can help you plan your journey and avoid delays.”
The announcement took place in east Regina, which is seeing a host of road construction activity. That includes construction outside the city on Highway 11 north near the Regina Bypass, with traffic reduced to a single lane and speed limits reduced for those coming into the city from Saskatoon.
It was also noted that this Saturday evening is the home opener for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, which will mean a lot of motorists on the road to Regina for the game. Gartner acknowledged the importance of staying aware.
“So as you're travelling in, please be careful of the construction zones. Take the speed down, let's make sure we obey all the signs, all the flag persons,” Gartner said. “As you enter Regina from the north side, of course, we're working on the bypass on Highway 11. That's a very important fix that's taking place, and it's bringing everybody into one lane of traffic. So let's be mindful of all the flag people, of all the regulatory signs, and let's travel safe as we come into the game.”
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister and Minister Responsible for the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board Ken Cheveldayoff said he will “often drive in from Saskatoon for the games, and you know, it's all about leaving yourself enough time. Leave a little extra time so you're not pushing it, and if something comes to interrupt your trip or you have to slow down for a little longer period of time, it's just nice to not be in such a rush.”
Cheveldayoff also noted this weekend “marks the beginning of tailgating in Saskatchewan, and you know, we're very, very much emphasizing the safety aspect of that as well. And from what I've seen, the Riders are doing the same thing, but we welcome that and hope people have fun doing it.”
Brandi Goebel of the City of Regina said that while they do all they can to reduce risk, there are some things they cannot control, and one of those is traffic.
“We do our best to put buffers between workers and vehicles, creating safety measures designed for each unique work zone. For those safety measures to work effectively, drivers also need to work with us.”
She pointed to situations where workers are focused on their jobs while traffic is going by.
“Your head can't always be on a swivel watching for oncoming traffic when you're working with material hot enough to cause severe burns in a couple of seconds. Traffic cones and other restrictions are there to keep us and drivers safe. If we're closing off a section of road, we expect that vehicles aren't going to be driving there. Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen.”
“All it takes is one mistake, one person stepping back, or one driver not paying attention. We do our part to fix roads, but we need drivers to do their part to keep us safe. So we ask residents to be careful when travelling through construction areas, to follow all posted signs.”
Phil Germain, CEO of the Workers' Compensation Board, urged people to be focused on prevention. He noted work zones are workplaces and called work zone safety not only a workplace issue, but a shared responsibility.
“In a work zone, prevention starts long before a driver reaches the flag person. It starts with planning ahead and allowing extra time to get to that destination.
“It means checking road conditions and being prepared for delays, lane closures, detours, equipment, changing traffic patterns and workers on or near the road. Once you're in that work zone, your responsibility is clear. Slow down, follow the signs, obey the flag persons, stay alert to road conditions and hazards and put away any distractions and focus on the road and the task at hand.”
He also pointed out work zones still contain hazards even when workers are not present, with equipment, uneven surfaces, loose gravel, sharp drop-offs, reduced lanes and constantly changing conditions. A “few seconds of impatience in a work zone can change someone's life permanently, and trust me, we've seen that.”
