During the period of intensive road work, the Ministère des Transports acts on several fronts to ensure road users’ and workers’ safety while favouring mobility and traffic fluidity
2012 awareness campaign
When it's orange, be twice as careful!
Roadwork sites modify the traffic conditions because they create hindrance but, most importantly, because of the presence of flag persons and workers on the road.
With the “When it's orange, be twice as careful!” campaign, the ministère des Transports du Québec wishes to raise drivers' awareness of the actual risks they take, to their safety and the safety of flag persons and road construction workers, when they fail to respect the orange signage related to the presence of roadwork sites.
The campaign includes posters around roadwork sites and radio ads illustrating the consequences, tragic sometimes, of not adapting our driving behaviour around roadwork sites.
On television, short videos present workers and responders who, through their experience and role on roadwork sites, explain why motorists' discipline and cooperation are essential for work to be carried out safely for everyone.
Fines doubled
This Highway Safety Code provision is intended for the greater safety of road users but also that of flagpersons and site workers, who are endangered by drivers who fail to heed road signs and speed limits posted.
For example, here are the fines for which offenders will be liable in a work zone where the posted speed limit is 70 km/h:
Posted speed limit
Actual speed
Fines
90 km/h
55 $ x 2 = 110 $
70 km
100 km/h
105 $ x 2 = 210 $
115 km/h
195 $ x 2 = 390 $
Road work season brings heightened surveillance by police. Accordingly, road users should keep their eyes peeled for signs with orange backgrounds whenever they near road work sites.
Road signs are talking to you, listen up!
Signage at the approach of roadwork sites tells you how to navigate your way through safely. Even when work has been suspended, signs for a site must be obeyed as hindrances remain on the roadway.
What follows is a reminder of the meaning of some signs frequently seen near work sites.
Traffic Control Person Ahead sign indicates the presence of a flagger who is directing traffic during construction work. Show courtesy and obey signals.
Work Crew Ahead sign indicates the presence of a road crew on or adjacent to a traffic lane. Be extra careful!
Lane Merge signs are used on a three-lane one-way public highway to indicate the temporary closure of the left lane owing to roadwork requiring traffic to merge into the open traffic lanes.
Directional Arrow signs indicate the direction to follow around a traffic lane that narrows or is closed.
Truck Entrance signs indicate that a loaded truck may be entering the public highway from an access road.
Temporary Closure signs are used to temporarily close a road to traffic. Take the direction shown by the detour sign
Speed Zone signs indicate the temporary legal speed limit in a roadwork zone. Obey them, for your own safety and that of the workers on site
