ROAD MAINTENANCE SERVICE SINCE 1988

It was the end of Dec 2014 and in BC - the motor vehicle act was finally changed to include highway maintenace workers on the SLOW down and move over program . It was a long difficult process that took 4 years to achieve . Slow Down Move Over regs will protect more workers
020GOVERNMENT

by RUSSELL HIXSON Dec 9, 2014

The B.C. government is making a Motor Vehicle Act regulation change to simplify the Slow Down Move Over rule, making it safer for roadside workers.
Slow Down Move Over regs will protect more workers
Photo: B.C. Ministry of Transportation
"We want people to be safe on the road and we want our employees to go home in the same condition that they arrived at work at," said Frank Rizzardo president and general manager of Emcon Services, a Merritt, B.C.-based road contractor.

"It is a very high level of commit towards safety and this change will only serve to assist us in that goal."

Rizzardo, the B.C. Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association, and others lobbied the B.C. government to make the changes after legislation was passed six years ago that he said erred in not including roadside workers.

Currently, the Slow Down Move Over regulation requires drivers to reduce speed and, if on a multi-lane road, move over to another lane when passing stopped vehicles with a flashing light, which are considered "official vehicles."

These include: police, fire, ambulance, tow trucks, commercial vehicle safety enforcement, park rangers and conservation officers.

Rizzardo said roadside maintenance workers removing debris, conducting inspections, repairing barriers or paving new lanes are exposed to dangerous high speed traffic far more than other parties protected by current Slow Down Move Over rules.

The new regulatory amendment will change the Slow Down Move Over requirement so that it includes all vehicles displaying a flashing red, blue or yellow light.

This will make it easier for drivers to know the rules of the road, as they will no longer have to check to see if the flashing light is on an official vehicle.

The amendment will improve safety for all roadside workers, including highway maintenance workers, utility workers, land surveyors, animal control workers and garbage collectors, reducing the risk of them being struck by passing vehicles. The amendment will come into effect on Jan. 1.

Drivers must slow their speed to 70km/h, when in an 80km/h or faster zone, and 40km/h when in an under 80km/h zone.

If travelling on a multi-lane road, the driver must move into another lane to pass where safe to do so.

Failure to adjust speed appropriately or failing to move over can result in a $173 ticket and three penalty points.

"We were very, very pleased," Rizzardo said, praising Transportation Minister Todd Stone for committing to get the rules repaired and following through.

Jack Davidson, president of B.C. Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association, said it did not make sense to have drivers confused about who they are required to slow down and move over for when they saw flashing lights.

"We were delighted the ministry made the announcement, It will mean safer roads and safer for the travelling public," he said.

"It should be everybody, our workers and the Ministry of Transportation's workers, anybody working on the side of the road," Davidson said.

"It should be that people slow down and respect the job they are doing and help make them safer."

Stone said that 18 months ago, when he first took over as Minister of Transportation, Davidson explained to him that the Road Builders' number one priority was improving the Slow Down Move Over rules.

He resolved to make it happen.

"All workers, whether you are in an emergency vehicle, whether you're a road contractor, whether you're actually an employee of the Ministry of Transportation or a postal employee it really doesn't matter – your safety is paramount," Stone said. ... See MoreSee Less