A number of people have been killed or injured working on or adjacent to the roadway. The Traffic Safety Amendment Act (2005) was designed to make it safer for police officers, firefighters, ambulance workers, tow truck drivers and construction workers who work on or near Alberta’s busy roadways.
Motorists must slow to 60km/h or less if the posted speed is lower when passing stopped emergency vehicles or tow trucks on the same side of the highway with their flashing lights in operation. In construction zones, motorists must observe the posted speed. When workers are present fines for speeding in these areas will be doubled.
On two-lane highways (1 lane in each direction) vehicles coming from both directions must slow to 60k until they have cleared the scene. On twinned highways or in cases where there is a full passing lane on that side of the highway the law only applies to traffic on the same side of the highway as the stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck.*
Emergency Vehicles are defined as police vehicles, ambulance vehicles, fire-fighting vehicles, a vehicle used by a gas disconnection unit of a public utility or a designated emergency response unit. Tow trucks are also included in the law because they regularly assist with emergencies that require them to work on or near the roadway assisting motorists. It is important to protect these workers.
Multi Lanes: What do I do to safely move away from emergency vehicles or tow trucks?
If there are two or more traffic lanes in the same direction as the emergency vehicle or tow truck, you must decrease your speed to 60 kilometres per hour or the maximum posted speed limit, whichever is lower unless there is one full lane between your vehicle and the stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck that has its flashing lights on. If any part of the emergency vehicle or tow truck overlaps (extends) into a lane, vehicles in the adjacent lane next to the extended vehicles must also slow down. There must be a complete empty lane between the emergency vehicle or tow truck and the driving lane. No matter where you are driving, please proceed with caution.
Penalties
Drivers convicted of violating section 115(2)(p.2) or 115(2) (t) of the Traffic Safety Act will be subject to double the fine. Demerit points will also be applied to the driver’s record if convicted but will not be doubled. This includes photoradar tickets.
Even if it seems there is no activity in a construction zone, there may be other less obvious hazards such as loose gravel chips and uneven pavement that can be dangerous and cause damage to vehicles traveling at high speeds. Alberta Transportation urges motorists to obey all signs and slow down when going through construction zones.
*corrected for accuracy/clarity.
As a EMS/firefighter, I know I speak for the community of us when I say "if an ambulance or fire truck is coming up behind you, (if the roads are safe) pull over to the shoulder and come to a COMPLETE STOP."
ReplyDeleteIt is incredibly dangerous to travel at any speeds on the shoulder of a highway. Some motorists continue on the shoulder without even touching their brakes. The amount of time spent to stop and then accelerate back to highway speeds are nothing compared to if you get into a life threatening accident, especially if you hit the ambulance, because now you've put a whole lot of peoples lives in danger.
Take heed to this warning about slowing down, moving over, and coming to a complete stop in order to allow emargency vehicles to pass safely in order for the emergency personnel to do their job safely and efficiently. There should be more than fines and demerits imposed for people with the total lack of respect and disregard for life that they will speed through construction and safety zones because of their own selfish interests in arriving to their destination in the shortest amount of time possible. These unconcerned speeders have only one thing in mind and that is themselves and their own little world otherwise they would obey the rules and slow down so that others may have an increased opportunity to live a long and fruitful life.
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