Cameras part of effort to boost safety after flag person killed on the job
Saskatchewan is using photo radar in an effort to deter speeding through highway construction zones.
As of July 15, photo radar is operational in random work zones across the province, taking photos of vehicle license plates of drivers observed exceeding the speed limit of 60 km/h.
Darryl Hickie, an MLA and chair of the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee, said the “only” goal of the cameras is to make work zones safer for motorists and construction workers.
“If we don’t collect one dime of revenue from photo enforcement, that’s a good thing — it means people are doing what they’re supposed to.”
Tickets will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. In addition to the cameras, the province is also upping the fines. Previously, fines for speeding in the work zone started at $140 and increased by $2 to $4 for every km/h over the speed limit.
The new base fine is $210, and will increase by $3 to $6 per km/h over the speed limit. There is also a victim surcharge, which increases in severity by speed.
A driver caught going through a work zone at 70 km/h would face a total fine of $300. At 100 km/h, the fine would jump to $530.
The province said tickets will be verified by the RCMP to determine if there is enough evidence to issue a ticket in each instance.
In August 2012, Ashley Richards, a flag person, was killed on the job. Since that time, the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, Ministry of Justice, Saskatchewan Government Insurance, RCMP, Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association and other partners have been working together to improve safety in work zones, the province said.
Measures that have been taken to clear up confusion and keep workers and drivers safe in work zones are based on the “three E’s” of traffic safety — education, engineering and enforcement.
In addition to photo radar, they include new black and white speed signs that make it clear to the driver exactly when to slow down, heavier fines for drivers who are caught speeding, rumble strips and gates to alert the driver they are entering a work zone, and increased enforcement by both the RCMP and provincial highway traffic officers.
