The arrival of summer, holidays and warm weather means there is an increased potential for danger on our roads as construction season gears up.
In response, the City of Campbell River is launching a road safety campaign in an effort to keep everyone safe on the road this summer.
Drew Hadfield, the city’s transportation manager, said the city wants to see everyone make it home in one piece at the end of the day.
“We want to help people arrive at their destinations safely, and to remind everyone to drive with extra care in work zones to keep roadside workers safe this summer,” Hadfield says.
The campaign, which also takes aim at distracted driving, is a timely initiative in light of last week’s incident in Burnaby where a woman driving an SUV ran over a traffic controller who was frantically waving her stop sign at the driver.
It’s just the latest in a string of incidents involving flaggers and construction workers. According to WorkSafeBC data released in May, over the last 10 years, 15 roadside workers were killed on the job while 229 were injured. Of those, 124 worked in traffic control. And last year alone, one worker was killed and 21 others were injured across the province.
Those are statistics the city can’t ignore. And with construction ramping up over the summer months, the city is taking the opportunity to remind drivers to be cognizant and obey the rules of the road, particularly in construction zones.
“Just like home painting and driveway maintenance, roadside maintenance and work such as digging, repaving, sidewalk repair and line painting requires sunny conditions – and means people are out working near traffic,” Hadfield says. “Drivers should expect minor delays and allow extra time for travelling in summer – and always focus on driving. Please slow down in cone zones and leave the phone alone when you’re on the road.”
According to a release from the city, the Campbell River RCMP will be conducting extra patrols to ensure that all motorists are doing their part to keep the roads safe for all by adhering to the rules of the road.
To emphasize the importance of road safety and to remind people about the dangers of distracted driving, the city’s summer road safety campaign will share materials from ICBC and WorkSafeBC and feature graphic photos, infographics and videos.
The material can be viewed in the City Currents section of the Campbell River Mirror and on the City’s Facebook page.
Distracted driving facts:
- The use of hand-held personal electronic devices while driving has been banned in B.C. since 2010.
- The law also applies while you’re stopped in traffic at a red light or slowed in traffic.
- Drivers with a new or learner licence are not allowed to use any personal electronic devices, even with a hands-free system.
- Current ICBC statistics indicate that, on average, 78 people die in B.C. every year in crashes where distracted driving is a contributing factor.
- Distracted driving is responsible for more than one quarter (27 per cent) of all car crash fatalities in B.C.