Now that spring has sprung, and nice weather is upon us, there will no doubt be a significant increase in road work. Unfortunately, this coincides with an increase in traffic and traffic speeds, as well. Since the main purpose for road construction in the first place is to make roads better and safer, the least drivers can do is think of the safety of the people who build the roads. High speed driving can be dangerous in and of itself, but combine speed with a construction zone, and the risk isn’t just to other drivers.

With that in mind, the city of Calgary has produced a Public Service Announcement, Slow Down, My Daddy Works Here, to address the risk workers face while working in construction zones.

The PSA reminds drivers that construction zones with workers present are “No Speeding Zones.” Most construction zones have reduced speed limits, so you have to slow down by law anyway. But if you’re caught speeding when construction workers are present, the fine will be doubled in most jurisdictions throughout Canada. You could also risk losing demerit points.

When you encounter road construction, you should slow down for everyone’s protection and obey all signs. Even when there are no construction workers on the road, there may still be other road hazards present. You should also obey all signs, because they contain essential information about traffic conditions, closures and detours. Also, be mindful of the workers putting up the traffic signs. Maintain a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Tailgating can be more hazardous in construction zones, because sudden stops are more common.

You should always drive safely of course, but be extra careful in a construction zone.

Many more lives depend on it than usual.

There seems to be something of an epidemic, and these incidents seem to point up the need for specific policies regarding alcohol and impairment when driving a snowplow.

On January 19, 2009, at approximately 7:42 PM, a motorist driving along Highway 11, in Perry Township, near Elmsdale, noticed a snowplow being operated erratically and called the Ontario police. Police from the Almaguin Highlands Detachment responded and stopped the snowplow as it was headed north on Highway 11, as it approached the Highway 518 intersection.

The driver, Shane Ralph Joudrey, was charged with impaired driving, and driving with over 80 milligrams, and later released on a Promise to Appear, with a February 17, 2009 court date.

That incident comes on the heels of another incident in Montreal. A passerby reported a snowplow driver to police when he saw the driver drinking beer while operating his snowplow last weekend. That driver was a 30-year veteran with the city of Montreal, with no previous blemishes on his work record. He was not drunk at the time he was apprehended, but he was suspended on the spot and given a $438 fine for having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. The borough council decided unanimously to fire the driver because they found his behavior to be “unacceptable.”

There is a zero-tolerance attitude developing when it comes to alcohol on the job, as well it should be. There is enough risk on the roads during a snowstorm; there is no reason to increase the risk by bringing alcohol into the equation. Supervisors should develop very strict policies with regard to alcohol, and let drivers know that such incidents as these will not be tolerated. Supervisors should also ask simple questions when they call an operator to duty, such as “have you had anything to drink today,” and allow operators to answer honestly. There should be a very clear zero-tolerance policy regarding alcohol and operation of machinery. If you don’t have one, you should develop one.

Traffic has been increasing on British Columbia’s 400,000 km of resource roads over the years, and WorkSafeBC is concerned that safety practices have not kept pace with those increases, so they’re doing something about it, by introducing the Resource Roads Safety Demonstration Project, an initiative designed to improve safety for workers who travel along those roads.

Resource roads are not considered public highways and are commonly known as ‘logging roads,’ ‘industrial roads,’ ‘forest service roads,’ and ‘petroleum development roads.’ For many years, such roads were built to access remote locations for a single user, such as a forest company, who constructed, maintained, and operated on the road. But today, a variety of industries and even the general public often share that same road. In short, resource roads aren’t just for hauling logs anymore, and safety has become a concern and a top priority.

The Demonstration Project will coordinate with industry and others, and build upon their achievements to date, as well as adding a necessary component of shared responsibility for safety on the road systems. Everyone involved hopes to work to improve best practices and find solutions to safety concerns.

Among the project’s goals are to:

o Clarify health and safety responsibilities of owners, prime contractors, employers, and workers/drivers applicable to resource road systems;

o Identify safety concerns/issues about road use, design, construction, and maintenance;

o Establish road safety groups to address management and usage;

o Address report recommendations from the Auditor General and Forest Safety Ombudsman;

o Develop systems/approaches to safely manage and coordinate road use;

o Demonstrate practical approaches to communicate safety information;

o Explore partnerships that can make resource roads safer;

o And examine the effectiveness of new technologies, methods, and tools that lead to the reduction of serious injuries and fatalities

Once complete, the Demonstration Project report will provide examples of how safety responsibilities can be managed on resource roads and explore how new technologies may improve safety for users. The final report will be the basis for developing a provincial resource road strategy.