With construction season in full swing, law enforcement in Saskatchewan were paying particular attention in July to unsafe driving behaviours in our province’s work zones.
When passing a highway worker, flag person or highway equipment with warning lights flashing, drivers are required to slow to 60 km/h or the posted speed limit. The results are in, and 138 drivers did not do that. Specifically:
104 tickets were issued for exceeding 60 km/h when passing highway workers or occupied highway equipment within a work zone.
32 tickets were issued for exceeding 60 km/h when passing a highway worker or flag person.
One ticket for exceeding 60 km/h when passing occupied highway equipment,
One ticket for exceeding 60 km/h when passing highway equipment with warning lights in operation.
Police also reported one ticket to a driver for failing to obey the direction of a flag person or peace officer.
It’s always important to remember that when you’re travelling through a work zone you’re in someone’s office – it’s up to all of us to keep those workers safe as they fix and build our province’s roads and highways. If that’s not motivation enough, remember that fines for speeding in work zones or past highway workers are significantly higher than regular speeding tickets. Being clocked at 40 km/h over the limit will cost you $1,008 and four demerits.
There are still many active work zones throughout the province. When planning a road trip, check the Highway Hotline website to see if you’ll encounter any along the way. When you encounter a work zone, obey posted signs and flag persons, always give the road your full attention, and keep a safe following distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.
Law enforcement also reported the following results in July:
7,597 aggressive driving or speeding offences
1,039 distracted driving offences (including 920 for cellphone use while driving)
576 inappropriate or no seatbelt/child restraint offences
292 impaired driving offences (including 246 Criminal Code charges)
Law enforcement continue to focus on impaired driving in August – remember to always #MakeGoodChoices and find a safe ride home. Follow SGI on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for safety tips to #TakeCareOutThere.
