Construction zone speeding focus of RCMP effort

The RCMP in western Newfoundland are putting a big focus on cracking down on drivers not obeying traffic laws in construction zones.

Const. Matthew Christie says police are hoping to curb reckless speeding in the construction zones along the Trans-Canada Highway before someone gets hurt.

"We did have a fatality last year in a construction zone, and my main goal here is to get that message out: to slow down. It's not just the fact that you may get a ticket or lose points on your drivers license — that's the best case scenario — you could take somebody's life, somebody who has a family," said Christie.

Officers with the RCMP set up a system along the highway on Tuesday, allowing one of them to use radar guns to catch speeding drivers while their colleagues chased down the speeders.

Christie said it's not uncommon to spot drivers regularly disregarding traffic laws in construction areas.

"We are seeing people come through here going at highway speeds, some are slowing down a little bit, some aren't adjusting their speed at all, and it makes for a very dangerous situation, not only for the construction workers but for other motorists as well," he said.

Christie said despite plenty of signage indicating a reduced speed zone, drivers continue to fly through.

He added making excuses won't work, and there are too many signs up for people not to be able to notice them.

The RCMP said it wasn't a one-day event, and officers across Newfoundland and Labrador will be stepping up their highway patrols in construction zones to educate drivers that speeding through construction zones won't be tolerated.