Province Installs New Safety Signs

Safety on roadways throughout the province is paramount for the Williams Government and to that end two new highway safety sign designs have been erected to ask motorists to slow down in road construction zones.

The new signage features Transportation and Works employees and their children with the message �Slow Down - My Mom/Dad Works Here.�

�Construction workers on our highways are dedicated and work diligently every day. Ensuring their safety while on the job is our main priority,� said the Honourable Trevor Taylor, Minister of Transportation and Works. �We hope the signs will encourage motorists to slow down when approaching and driving through construction zones and to become aware of the people that work on our roadways. Road construction workers put in a hard day�s work and it is our goal to get them safely home to their families at night.�

The Provincial Government has invested approximately $3,600 in the new signage, and currently has four sets of signs installed at various capital works projects throughout the province.

This initiative is the latest step by the province to increase safety in road construction areas. Recently a new campaign was launched that doubled fines for speeding in designated construction zones, ranging from a minimum of $100 for a first offence up to a maximum of $1,500.

�These new signs build on this highway safety initiative by the Provincial Government to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding in road construction zones,� said the Honourable Kevin O�Brien, Minister of Government Services. �Flag people and other road construction workers are often put at risk of serious injury by speeding motorists. This new campaign highlights the fact that these workers have families and lives outside of work. Drivers must be aware of their responsibility for safety in road construction zones.�

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Photo #1: The Provincial Government has unveiled two new highway safety sign designs to encourage motorists to slow down. The signs feature Transportation and Works employees and their children. The pictured signs are located on Route 230, Bonavista Peninsula Highway.

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2009 09 21                                       10:00 a.m.