With the July 1 holiday marking the start of the busy summer travel season, drivers across the Kootenays will encounter more orange cones, construction crews and roadside workers as highways and local roads see increased traffic.
Whether heading to a campground, lake, hiking trail or ferry, drivers face added pressure from busy schedules, road delays and long trips. Those distractions can increase the risk for roadside workers, as well as drivers and their passengers.
ICBC statistics show July has the second-highest number of crashes of any month, behind only December. Over the past five years, July has averaged just over 26,000 reported crashes across B.C.
Hot weather and glare can contribute to driver fatigue, while distractions inside and outside the vehicle can make it easier to miss signs, cones or stopped vehicles. In work zones, even a brief lapse in attention can have serious consequences.
“Work zones are complex, fast-changing environments. If drivers lose focus even for a moment, they can miss critical cues,” said Trace Acres, spokesperson for the annual Work Zone Safety campaign managed by Road Safety at Work. “And that’s when people get hurt.”
According to WorkSafeBC, 11 roadside workers were killed and another 263 suffered injuries resulting in time-loss claims between 2016 and 2025.
Roadside workers include traffic control persons, highway maintenance crews, road construction crews, tow truck operators, utility workers, emergency responders, landscapers and others. Throughout the Kootenays, these workers help maintain highways, repair infrastructure and respond to emergencies, often just metres from passing traffic.
Drivers travelling through work zones should slow down, watch for changing traffic patterns and workers on foot, and follow the directions of traffic control persons.
“You need to be ready to respond at any moment,” Acres said. “If you’re distracted, speeding or not paying attention to flag persons and signage, you may not have enough time to react safely. A moment of inattention can have life-changing consequences.”
Know the law
If you must drive through a work zone, B.C. law requires drivers to:
- Slow down and obey posted speed limits.
- Stay alert and avoid distractions, including phones and in-vehicle technology.
- Obey traffic control persons and traffic control devices.
Drivers approaching vehicles stopped on the roadside with flashing lights must also follow B.C.’s Slow Down, Move Over law by reducing speed and, when safe, moving into the next lane. Drivers must slow to 70 km/h where the speed limit is 80 km/h or higher, or to 40 km/h in lower-speed zones.
Driving offences can result in fines and penalty points.
While drivers play a critical role in work zone safety, employers are responsible for identifying hazards, assessing risks, developing traffic control plans and ensuring roadside workers receive appropriate training and supervision.
“Roadside workers are doing jobs that keep our road system running,” Acres said. “Staying alert when you drive through a work zone is one of the simplest ways to help them get home safely.”
Road Safety at Work offers safety information for drivers, employers and workers at roadsafetyatwork.ca.
This version leads with a clear regional hook for Kootenay readers while avoiding unsupported claims about specific construction projects or traffic conditions that would require local attribution.
