Alberta drivers not slowing down in construction zones

WATCH ABOVE: According to the Partners in Road Construction Safety most Alberta drivers are speeding through construction zones. As Kent Morrison reports, officers are asking drivers to slow down.

EDMONTON – Drivers are being asked to slow down and obey speed limits when passing through construction zones.

Despite increased fines for speeding and awareness campaigns Albertans aren’t getting the message.

Last year, radar was posted in construction zones across the province and 64 per cent of drivers were found to be exceeding speed limits. If that statistic was applied to the QE2, it would mean 38,000 drivers are speeding daily on the highway.

READ MORE: Half of Alberta drivers continue to rip through construction zones: Study

Speeding through construction zones create dangers drivers may not be aware of, according to the Partners in Road Construction Safety.

“There could be loose gravel on the road ways, there could be trenches that are very close to the roadways. And while we try to mark those hazards, if drivers come into those areas at speed and lose control, that could cause real problems for both drivers, the vehicles and our workers as well,” explains Gary Zeitner, Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association.

READ MORE: 4,500 traffic charges laid in Alberta over May long weekend

Zeitner says he was recently on a job site where a speeding driver entered the work site.

“It’s scary when there’s unpredictable behaviour like that. The crew doesn’t know where to go because the driver’s behaviour at that point is very unpredictable.”

READ MORE: Edmonton spending $451 million on 2015 road construction projects

Edmonton police say the number of drivers speeding in the city increased during the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period the previous year.

The location of projects in Edmonton is offered on the City’s website. A map of current construction-related traffic disruptions can also be found online.