Ministerial Statement – Minister Crocker Highlights Road Safety Plans

  • Transportation and Works

May 22, 2018

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Transportation and Works


Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to update Newfoundlanders and Labradorians about our department’s plans to increase highway safety for motorists and crews who work in highway construction zones.

Far too often, our contractors report instances of motorists who ignore highway traffic signs, putting the crews’ and their own safety in jeopardy.

This summer, we will be partnering with contractors for the use of highway enforcement cameras. At construction zones with high traffic volumes and high speeds, cameras will be installed to detect speeding motorists, and record information including the vehicle’s licence plate, speed and date and time of the violation.

This will determine their effectiveness for use as an enforcement tool in the future.

We will also be increasing our use of attenuators, which are safety barriers designed to absorb the impact of a collision and help redirect out-of-control vehicles away from machinery and workers, reducing the likelihood of vehicles striking the crews.

Mr. Speaker, motorists will be more informed of road construction activity through the use of traditional and social media this summer.

In addition, we will continue collaborating with policing agencies, municipalities, the Heavy Civil Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Safety Association and other Provincial Government departments to address safety concerns.

Mr. Speaker, as we take these steps to increase safety for everyone, we remind all motorists travelling this summer to reduce their speed, pay attention, and obey all traffic signs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

2018 05 22 1:50 pm