SGI, police to focus on speeding in work zones for July

While drivers might be racing to get to their long weekend started, SGI is issuing a reminder to slow down in construction zones.

July’s traffic spotlight will be focused on nabbing drivers with a lead foot in the orange zone.

The fines for speeding in work areas are stiff — going 20 kilometres an hour over the limit nets the driver a $440 fine and 40 km/h will cost $1,008.

Penalties also include demerit points in SGI’s Safe Driver Recognition program, which can increase the cost of a driver’s insurance.

Shantel Lipp, president of Saskatchewan’s Heavy Construction Association, said reckless drivers are a daily problem for the industry.

“There isn’t a day that goes by that one of our workers hasn’t encountered some sort of a hazard, whether it’s somebody driving too fast, passing whey they’re not supposed to be passing,” Lipp said.

“Some people will blow right past a flagger right in the work zone.”

She said flaggers are instructed to jump into the ditch if they see a driver coming at them at a high speed.

Tom Lees with the provincial Ministry of Highways said speed reductions can stay in place even is work is done for the day due to hazards that can still exist, such as sharp dropoffs and obstacles a driver could hit.

Last year, there were 203 collisions in work zones in Saskatchewan, which resulted in 67 injuries. There were also 1,230 tickets for work zone speeding handed out in 2017.