Why you need to slow down in orange zones when no workers are present

Driving on the highway and following a 60-kilometre-per-hour orange zone sign with no workers in sight might be frustrating, but a government official said there are good reasons to keep the speed limit down.

Fred Antunes, the deputy minister of highways and infrastructure, said the first of three main reasons workers post the signs is their safety.

“The first reason is to protect workers, obviously. We want to make sure that everyone stays safe and that everyone goes home safely at the end of the day,” he explained.

Orange construction zones were introduced after the death of 18-year-old Ashley Richards in 2012. She was working on a site on Highway 39 near Weyburn when Keith Dunford hit and killed her with his car.

However, even when workers aren’t on site, there could still be dangerous conditions.

“The second thing we do is protect the motorist. Sometimes there may be hazards on the roadway that the motorist isn’t aware of or may not see. So we ask them to slow down. That way, if they come across unanticipated conditions, they have time to take reaction,” he said.

An example of this is common on divided highways.

“It could be that they had paved the pavement in one lane. Then you have the regular pavement without the extra asphalt on the other lane. That creates a dropoff, which is a hazard for the driver,” he said.

Tyler McMurchy, the media relations manager for SGI, expanded on the possible dangers.

“You’re looking at potential lane reductions (or) sharp pavement drops. There may be loose stones or completed roadwork that needs time to dry and might be slippery at higher speeds,” he explained.

“It’s a really good idea to take a few extra minutes and obey those posted speed limits.”

The third reason is lowest on the priority list, but is still a reason for drivers to slow down.

“It’s to protect the repair that we’re doing. If we have motorists driving on, say, a seal coat that hasn’t cured properly, then the seal coat will fail prematurely,” Antunes said.

When Premier Brad Wall’s government instituted orange zones in late 2012, it assured that signs would be covered up when there wasn’t a reason for the speed limit.

Antunes said that policy is still in place and is strictly enforced.

“We’re diligent with our contractors, our consultants and our staff. We make sure that they check the signs three to four times a day,” he explained.

There are also steep fines for construction companies that delay traffic without a reason.

“The fine is between $500 and $5,000 for first offence and $1,000 to $10,000 for subsequent infractions. It depends on the value of the contract. Typically, a warning would be issued for the first infraction,” the ministry said in an email.

While these measures are important, Antunes believes the No. 1 priority needs to be safety.

“We are doing what we can to make sure that we’re providing convenience and efficiency for the travelling public, but at the same time making sure that everybody stays safe … We’ll always err on the side of safety,” he concluded.

On Thursday, SGI said its July Traffic Safety Spotlight on speeding in orange zones had resulted in more than 200 tickets.