Photo Credit: Government of Alberta

By Nathaniel Leigh

Alberta

Alberta government updating Roadside Safety Act

Aug 8, 2023 | 1:22 PM

The Alberta Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors says it is strengthening the rules to protect roadside workers.

Minister Devin Dreeshen announced Tuesday updates to the Traffic Safety Act that now provide protection to roadside worker vehicles stopped on the side of the road with their lights flashing.

Drivers in the lane closest to roadside worker vehicles will be required to slow to 60 km/h or the posted speed limit if slower or move to the far lane if it is safe to do so.

Dreeshen says this will reduce the number of accidents involving roadside workers. The updated Traffic Safety Act goes into effect September 1.

“Unfortunately between 2014 and 2018 there’s actually been over 2,000 injuries involving roadside workers within the province of Alberta,” Dreeshen says. “Which is obviously a staggering number and we want to do everything we can to get that number to zero.”

The CEO of Alberta Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association Ron Glenn says there are over 50,000 roadside workers in Alberta.

“In highway maintenance, there’s between 1,400 and 1,600 workers that are out there keeping the highways safe of debris, fixing the guard rails, plowing snow, and ice control in the winter time,” Glenn says. “They’re keeping the roads safe for you.”

Volker Stevin Highways Vice President Scott Emerson expressed thanks to the various stakeholder groups that helped bring about the updates.

“The government’s commitment to the safety of our workforce, the safety of travelling Albertans is exceptional,” says Emerson. “By including roadside workers in this legislation we are making sure that everybody gets a chance to go home safely every day.”

The updated Traffic Safety Act goes into effect September 1.

View more information from the Alberta Government below:

Keeping all Albertans – workers and drivers – safe on the road is a priority.

Alberta has been one of only two provinces without move over legislation, but Alberta’s government has changed that.

To increase safety for all roadside workers, starting Sept. 1, drivers in the lane closest to any roadside worker vehicle stopped at the side of the road with its lights flashing must slow down to 60 km/h or the posted speed limit, whichever is lower.

Drivers must also move over to the far lane if it’s safe to do so and take reasonable steps to allow other drivers to move over as well.

Currently, only tow truck drivers and first responders are protected under the Traffic Safety Act, but now all roadside workers stopped on the side of the road, with their flashing lights activated, will be covered by these protections.

The new roadside worker safety rules will apply to all roadside workers, including first responders, tow truck operators, highway maintenance workers and snowplow operators.

Slowing down and moving over for all roadside workers will keep everyone safe and ensure traffic continues to flow efficiently.

To help enforce these changes, fines and demerits will be applied for unsafe behaviors when passing roadside workers and snowplows.

– With files from the Province of Alberta

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