Protecting roadside workers

Overview

The Traffic Safety Amendment Act, 2022 (formerly Bill 5) strengthens safety measures to better protect all first responders and roadside workers on Alberta’s highways.

The act requires motorists to slow down, when passing all roadside workers, when vehicle lights are flashing and they are stopped on the highway.

This change gives snowplow operators and roadside maintenance teams the same legislated protection as first responders, tow truck operators and construction crews. Having consistent traffic rules for all roadside workers also reduces confusion for motorists and increases highway safety. There were 128 collisions with highway snowplows between March 2018 and March 2021. Alberta Motor Association also reported 25 near misses and 3 serious collisions with their service vehicles between January 2018 and July 2019.

The act follows recommendations heard from the public and stakeholders during the roadside worker safety engagement held in spring 2021.

Key changes

The Traffic Safety Amendment Act, 2022 amends the Traffic Safety Act to:

• Extend safe passing protections for roadside workers to include snowplow operators and roadside maintenance teams
• clarify that when a vehicle is stopped with its flashing lights operating, motorists are required to:
  • slow down to 60 km/h or the posted speed limit, whichever is lower, in all lanes traveling in the same direction on multi-lane highways; and
  • slow down to 60 km/h or the posted speed limit, whichever is lower, when traveling in either direction on single lane highways.

Next steps

The Traffic Safety Amendment Act, 2022 takes effect on proclamation.

News

• Improving safety for roadside workers (March 16, 2022)