The B.C. Cone Zone campaign is urging Prince George drivers to slow down and pay attention to traffic controllers and signs when approaching road construction sites.
Between 2011 and 2020, 12 roadside workers were killed and 207 were injured on the job in the province, according to a statement issued by the Work Zone Safety Alliance. One of those killed was Prince George traffic controller Linda Magnussen, who died after being hit by a CN Rail pickup truck on Aug. 16, 2016 on Austin Road West.
In 2020, 23 roadside workers were hit by vehicles and injured on the job. Roadside workers like construction crews, tow truck operators, first responders, city workers, traffic control people and other depend on drivers respecting coned off areas on the road for their safety.
“One of the greatest risks to a roadside worker is a motor vehicle being driven through their workplace. Dangerous driving behaviour like speeding and distracted driving puts these workers at risk of injury and death," program director Louise Yako said in a press release. "Until the number of fatalities and injuries is zero, we will continue to take action to protect roadside workers. We ask all drivers, and roadside employers and workers to do the same.”
