‘It gets scary’: Drivers urged to slow down and respect construction zones across Sask.

For construction workers standing just feet from away traffic, one close call can forever change how they approach the job.

Construction season is in full swing across Saskatchewan, and drivers are being reminded to slow down and follow traffic restrictions in work zones in order to help keep everyone safe.

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Brandi Goebel, the City of Regina’s construction co-ordinator, said drivers can’t always tell how close they are to the workers, even when the workers can feel the breeze of vehicles speeding by.

“It’s hard to describe it until you’re actually there dealing with that traffic,” Goebel said.

“A lot of times your back is towards the vehicles coming towards you, and you don’t even know until they’ve passed by you and your hair is blowing in the wind or your hard hat gets blown off because they’re driving by so fast.”

Goebel said it’s pretty common for drivers to pass close to workers at high speeds.

“I’ve worked on Ring Road a couple of times at 100 km/h. You’re expecting people to slow down. They don’t. Some people don’t even move over to the next lane,” she said.

Goebel said it just takes one mistake, one construction worker stepping back, or one driver not paying attention, for a close call to become a tragedy.

“It gets scary. If you’ve had a near miss, or you’ve stepped too close, or you’ve injured yourself because of somebody being on site, then it makes you more cautious and more aware, but then you’re also more paranoid,” Goebel explained.

She also said when construction crews close off a section of road, they expect vehicles won’t drive there, but that isn’t always the case.

“I remember one situation where a driver actually moved a barricade (and) drove into a closed work site,” Goebel said.

“Concrete trucks were on site, and our crews had their backs to the road. The vehicle ended up driving through fresh concrete, just 10 meters from where we were working. Nobody knew the vehicle was there until it hit the concrete and tried to make a U-turn after realizing they couldn’t get through the construction zone. That got everyone’s attention in a hurry. Thankfully, no one was hurt.”

(Left to Right) Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Ken Cheveldayoff, WCB CEO Phillip Germain, City of Regina construction co-ordinator Brandi Goebel, Highways Minister Kim Gartner and Regina deputy police chief Laurel Marshall at an event promoting safety in work zones. (Abby Zieverink/980 CJME)

Kim Gartner, Saskatchewan’s highways minister, said he understands the travel delays that highway construction can cause, but said safety should always come first.

“While it can mean short-term delays, the long-term benefits are critical. I encourage all drivers to stay alert, slow down in work zones and respect signage and flag personnel. Every person on the road matters, and by working together, we can ensure everyone gets home safely,” said Gartner.

“Everyone on the road is someone’s friend, neighbor, son, daughter, parent or grandparent. Protect them by doing your part, so everyone gets home safely.”

Phil Germain, CEO of the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board, said his message is simple.

“Respect the zone, so we can all get home,” he said.

“The work zone is their workplace. It’s where they spend their day doing their skilled, important and necessary work that keeps Saskatchewan moving. Whether that work is happening on a provincial highway, a city street, a bridge, a sidewalk or some other public roadway, those workers have the same rights as any other workers, including the right to be safe at work and, at the end of the day, to get home safely.”

Germain said in a work zone, accident prevention starts long before a driver reaches a flag person. It starts with planning ahead and allowing extra time to get to your destination.

“A few seconds of impatience in a work zone can change someone’s life permanently and – trust me – we’ve seen that,” Germain said.

“We know that serious injuries and fatalities affect more than just the worker who’s injured. They affect the families, they affect their co-workers, their employers, first responders and the entire community around them.”

He added that it’s important to remember construction zones can still present hazards to drivers, even when workers are not on site.

“Equipment, uneven surfaces, loose gravel, sharp drop-offs, reduced lanes, and constantly changing conditions can create risks for drivers, passengers, workers and pedestrians,” he explained.

Germain added that while things seem to be getting better, too many drivers are putting workers at risk. Between 2016 and 2025, he said 423 workers were hurt by a vehicle hitting them on the job, and seven of those workers died.

“That’s too many people,” he said. “It’s happening still. People are being seriously injured and people are dying on Earth in completely preventable situations.”

Fines for speeding in work zones are high in Saskatchewan, with drivers also getting demerits on their license for the offence.