Slow down and obey speed limits, especially in construction zones.
It’s a familiar plea from BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) and it comes following recent incidents on Vancouver Island. One of which actually resulted in the death of a roadside worker.
Last Tuesday (Oct. 26) at around 7 pm, a BCHP officer in Nanaimo spotted a vehicle traveling 132 km/hr in a 60 km/hr construction zone.
There were multiple speed signs in place warning the driver to slow to 60 km/hr, but he failed to do so, police say. In turn, he was issued an excessive speed ticket, and his car was impounded.
One island police officer finds incidents like these are simply unacceptable: “When [drivers] get to these zones, they have to slow down. And that’s for the safety of the workers,” RCMP Cst. Gary O’Brien told our newsroom.
His comments came following a tragic incident that just so happened to occur a month prior in the same Nanaimo construction zone.
On Sept. 23, police say a suspected speeding and impaired driver drove through the zone, striking two road workers, killing one and seriously injuring another.
And while this case is still under investigation, a construction worker injured or killed on the job as a result of a driver’s actions isn’t all unusual, O’Brien pointed out.
“The stats are alarming across the board. Not only in Nanaimo but throughout British Columbia and North America,” he added.
“That’s why the speed limits are reduced in construction zones. They’re highly lit and highly marked. It’s unacceptable for situations like this to occur.”
Slow down, move over, avoid fines:
Echoing O’Brien, BC Highway Patrol once again reminds drivers to slow down and move over when approaching roadside workers, as well as designated vehicles stopped on local roads.
Police say drivers who don’t could see hefty fines and points against their license. In fact, the fine for failing to slow down and move over is $173, with the fines for disobeying construction speed zones starting at $196.
