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8 tickets issued during Cone Zone enforcement blitz in Richmond

In the last 10 years, 12 roadside workers were killed and 207 injured
Richmond cone zone
An enforcement blitz took place in Richmond on Tuesday, part of the 11th annual B.C. Cone Zone campaign.

Eight tickets were handed out to drivers Tuesday morning during an enforcement blitz at a Richmond worksite.

The RCMP Fraser Coast District Integrated Road Safety Unit, the Work Zone Safety Alliance and Telus partnered for the enforcement activity, as part of the annual B.C. Cone Zone campaign – named for the work areas set up by roadside workers to protect themselves and other road users.

The campaign, now in its 11th year, is aimed at raising awareness of the dangers faced by roadside workers.

The tickets included violations for speeding, as well as seatbelts and one failure to produce a driver’s license, said Anita Dieter, campaign manager with Road Safety at Work, which manages the Cone Zone campaign on behalf of the Work Zone Safety Alliance.

Dieter said Tuesday’s enforcement activity in Richmond was a bit different than others, as it took place at a Telus worksite near a telephone pole on Westminster Highway near Shell Road.

“When I ask people, what kind of workers come to your mind when you’re thinking about a cone zone, people will say flaggers or construction. But we want people to be aware that there’s many different types of roadside workers,” said Dieter.

“That includes electrical workers like Telus workers, landscapers, tow operators, emergency vehicles – so any worker working at the side of the road is at risk, and we want to make sure they get home to their families.”

In the last 10 years, 12 roadside workers were killed and 207 injured, said Louise Yako, Cone Zone campaign spokesperson.

She said that, in addition to speeding, the other driver issue that is “very noticeable” through cone zones is distraction.

“Unfortunately, there are lots of things that can divert a driver’s attention. So while speeding is certainly an issue, it’s also checking to make sure drivers are paying attention to flag persons or paying attention to the road, as opposed to anything that’s in their vehicle.”

The B.C. Cone Zone campaign, launched in May and runs through to the end of August. It coincides with the increase in roadside work throughout the province in the summer.

Yako said that, thanks to the annual campaign, there has been a “steady and slow reduction in the number of injuries throughout the years.”

“But, really, our goal is to reach zero, and we haven’t reached that yet.”