Cone Zone campaign promotes road safety in work sites

A provincial campaign is encouraging people to be safe while travelling near road workers.

Road Safety at Work’s 12th annual province-wide Cone Zone campaign launched Monday, May 16, coinciding with increased road construction across B.C., including in Vernon.

The campaign reminds motorists to slow down and be cautions when approaching an area set up by roadside workers to protect themselves and drivers from injury and death.

“As the summer road work season ramps up, we remind drivers to be aware and use caution when driving through roadside worksites. Our roadside workers are making sure our roads and highways are safe, and we can do our part to ensure their safety by slowing down and following safety signage,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

“All workers have a right to work in a safe environment and the Cone Zone campaign is a great reminder for drivers.”

WorkSafeBC statistics show two road side workers were killed and 31 were injured and had to miss work after being hit by vehicles in B.C. in 2021.

Over the past 10 years in B.C., vehicle collisions resulted in 12 roadside workers losing their lives and 221 others being injured and having to miss work.

“That’s 233 people — mothers, fathers, friends, work colleagues, and neighbours,” says Trace Acres, Road Safety at Work program director and spokesperson for the Cone Zone campaign.

“Every roadside worker in Vernon and around the North Okanagan deserves to make it home to their family at the end of their shift without injury.”

Roadside workers include road maintenance and construction crew workers, first responders, municipal workers, traffic control persons, landscapers, tow truck operators, and others.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the risks a motor vehicle presents to the workers, particularly when the drivers are distracted, speeding, or conducting other unsafe or dangerous behaviours.

Drivers are reminded to slow down, pay attention, and follow instructions from traffic control persons, temporary road signs and traffic control devices when in a Cone Zone.

Motorists are also reminded that if there are vehicles with red, blue or amber flashing lights stopped on the roadside, the province’s ‘Slow Down, Move Over’ law applies. That law requires drivers to slow to 70 km/h in areas where the posted limit is 80 km/h or greater, or to 40 km/h in areas where the limit is less that 80 km/h. Motorists who fail to reduce their speed through work zones can be issued a $173 ticket that also carries three penalty points.