Egland scores Teddy Bear Toss goal but Pats lose in OT
9h ago
Over 3,000 stuffed animals were tossed onto the ice.
SGI and the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association (SHCA) are urging drivers to slow down and pay attention in construction zones this summer.
SGI’s Tyler McMurchy is concerned about construction workers’ safety.
“It can be unnerving for someone to speed through one of these work zones,” McMurchy said Thursday. “It’s a dangerous situation.”
On the north end of Regina, the Highway 11 overpass is currently being replaced. There are a number of hazards along the side of the construction zone including machinery on both sides and overhead as drivers go under the overpass.
Two-lane traffic is left to navigate with a controlled light to cross over to Highway 11 to Saskatoon or through Highway 6 toward Southey.
This can be confusing for drivers, but it can be more difficult for construction workers to travel by foot. Sharp drops off the pavement or broken concrete could have them stumble, or slippery or sticky surfaces could have them tread carefully.
That’s why SGI and the SHCA want people to slow down and pay attention through construction zones.
McMurchy said going 40 kilometres per hour over the 60 km/h speed limit in construction zones could result in a $1,008 speeding ticket.
“That’s not an expense anyone wants to deal with right now, especially with the high cost of gas,” said McMurchy.
SGI’s Tyler McMurchy (l to r), Shantel Lipp of the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association and RCMP Const. Greg Dowd on July 21, 2022. (Gillian Massie/980 CJME)
SHCA president Shantel Lipp said the hefty fines are put in place to make sure people slow down, and workers can stay safe.
“Our partners have had many near-misses in the past,” said Lipp. “There will likely be more this construction season. It’s the reality of the job.”
In Saskatchewan work zones over the past five years, there have been 850 collisions, 274 injuries and three fatalities.
“There is a human cost to this. We want to see people make it through these work zones unscathed, and avoid being one of those statistics in the future,” said McMurchy. “Those statistics aren’t just numbers, they’re people.”
Lipp said the bypass construction site has had no accidents so far, but she emphasized that with machinery on both sides and overhead, it’s important to stay focused and drive slowly so there are no accidents.
“Don’t adjust your radio station, don’t fix your makeup, and don’t drive fatigued through the construction zone,” said Lipp.
RCMP Const. Greg Dowd said the point of slowing down for the construction zones gives drivers extra reaction time if someone does come out unexpectedly.
“As you go faster, you tend to get tunnel vision,” said Dowd. “You tend to only pay attention to what is in front of you. So if you are going too fast, you are going to miss stuff that is going to be coming at you from the sides.”
Dowd said he knows from experience what driving by at 100 km/h can do to a person. He said the wind alone can blow you over.
“The next time that you see someone slowing down, slow first and then figure out why they are slowing down afterwards,” said Dowd. “Don’t be in such a hurry. It only takes a few seconds to slow down.”
Dowd said the fines prioritize the safety of construction workers.
“I don’t even want to go into the financial penalty; that should be the least of your concerns,” he said. “Nobody wants to go through and hit someone or something at the end of the day.”