Safe Roads Raises Awareness of Road Construction Safety, Helps Save Lives

WINNIPEG – The fifth annual SAFE Roads campaign, a joint initiative to raise awareness of the safety of workers on Manitoba’s roads, was kicked off today. The campaign is targeted at motorists across the province, reminding them to slow down when driving past road construction projects and when sharing the road with emergency workers such as firefighters, paramedics and police officers.

“Construction continues to boom throughout Manitoba, with younger workers entering the workforce everyday,” says Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton. “It’s more important now than ever to make sure that everyone makes it home safely from work.”

“As the summer months approach, we need to be aware of safety and exercise caution when driving through construction zones,” says Labour and Immigration Minister Jennifer Howard.

The SAFE Roads media event kicked off at the site of the Jubilee overpass, a high traffic area that will undergo reconstruction over the next several months. A media event was also held in Brandon for the second year in a row.

The campaign includes radio and transit bus ads that feature the frank message ‘What the heck were you thinking?’ to encourage speeding motorists to slow down and raise awareness of Manitoba’s roads as a workplace.

“Most people think of workplaces as having four walls and a roof, but for many Manitobans, the road is their workplace,” says City Councillor Mike Pagtakhan.

“It’s important for people to realize how their actions can impact another person’s workplace and what they can do to make it safer for the workers and for themselves.”

“Fostering a safe and healthy work environment for all Manitobans is our priority,” says WCB President and CEO Doug Sexsmith. “Through our support of SAFE Roads, we’re helping to raise awareness that SAFE Work applies everywhere.”

The Highway Traffic Act supports the SAFE Roads campaign by setting additional penalties for failing to slow down in construction zones. Offenders caught speeding will have an additional $5 added to the base fine for every kilometre recorded over the speed limit.

“The SAFE Roads campaign is a great example of how effective partnerships can be,” says Stan Kruse, Safety Program Director with Manitoba Heavy Construction Association. “The campaign started with just six partners and has now expanded to include a diverse group of 12 partners – the Canadian Union of Public Employees being the newest addition this year.”

Initiated by the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, the SAFE Roads campaign is a joint effort between the following 12 partners: 

• City of Winnipeg
• Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation
• Manitoba Heavy Construction Association
• Manitoba Floodway Authority
• Manitoba Hydro
• Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba
• City of Winnipeg Police
• City of Brandon Police
• Manitoba Government Employees Union
• Winnipeg Fire & Paramedic Service
• Construction Safety Association of Manitoba
• Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)

For more information, please contact: