With summer comes plenty of road construction activity in New Brunswick.
It’s prompting some police forces to remind motorists to slow down while driving in construction zones.
On Tuesday, the Fredericton Police Force issued a statement saying that a flagger had been struck by a vehicle and sustained serious injuries.
“It is important to follow speed limits in construction zones,” the force said in a press release. “People are working diligently to get projects done, and speeds are posted for their safety and yours. And if that’s not enough – fines are doubled in construction zones.”
The police did not say where the worker was injured and no one was available for an interview on Tuesday.
Police said last week that 10 tickets were issued for violations in construction zones, saying, “not everyone is getting the message.”
The New Brunswick RCMP have a similar campaign on safety in construction zones. One tweet on July 17 showed a collision where tire track marks could be seen between a construction vehicle and workers on a highway in the province.
No one was injured in that incident but RCMP Cpl. Hans Ouellette said there is no excuse for speeding or dangerous driving in construction zones.
“You can really see these signs from a distance — they’re orange; you see the cones coming up ahead. You really need to pay attention and slow down when you see those signs up ahead.”
He said there is often only inches between a construction worker and the lane of traffic they might be working next to so slowing down is imperative.
Last week, RCMP in New Brunswick also issued several tickets are a construction zone on Highway 11 near Saint George for people failing to follow the speed limit.
Speed limits in most construction zones in New Brunswick will be reduced to 50 km/h unless otherwise posted in the area where the work is happening.
Fines are double for speeding in a construction zone, and Ouellette reminds the public that those speed limits are applicable 24 hours a day, even when no workers are present.
“We really have to pay attention. There is a lot going on construction zones, so we really have to have our heads up, eyes on the road, and hands on the wheel when it comes to construction zones,” Ouellette said.
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