Lack of changes to Alberta's slow down move over law, and removing in-person examination and Class 2 MELT requirements contributing to reduction in road safety

EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA, September 1, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Daybreak comes, and many roadside personnel are out working on the side of the road before most of us even get out of bed. The workers know the dangers of passing motorists, and the potential for serious injury all too well. It’s common to see emergency crews, service vehicle operators, and roadway crews working away in traffic on Alberta roads at any given time. For some drivers it’s all part of the landscape: see the road sign "emergency scene ahead", watch for crews, slow down, keep scanning for obstacles, then resume the speed limit when safe to do so after the last sign, or pylon.

Some drivers simply don’t. There has been a goliath effort multiple industries have contributed to over the last 2 decades to improve road safety: Edmonton’s vision zero, emergency services relentlessly promoting traffic safety, MADD Canada initiatives, driving instructors consistently facilitating safe driving practices, and the tow industry for ongoing refinement for traffic control policies.

While current initiatives encourage progress and help to protect roadside workers, they are not enough to ensure the overall improvement of road safety. Industries require support in the form of rules and regulations, and law enforcement. Consistent training, improvements to operating procedures, and increased signage help to alert drivers to the presence of roadside workers, but they do not offer the protections which regulation and enforcement can.

It's important to deploy a suite of emergency tools when responding on the side of the road so we can all make it home at the end of the day. Training and education for the motoring public goes a long way in helping to promote understanding and the dangers of working in traffic. As drivers become complacent to the presence of roadside workers, previous training of necessary safety precautions can degrade. For some drivers, this initial training is not mandatory at all.

Competency must be demonstrated and evaluated before sign off, and this is paramount when determining someone's ability to operate a vehicle in a safe manner. The very license we require for all medics operating ambulances, or taxi operators driving you around, or to drive the small van or bus full of kids no longer requires this step. Earlier this year, we witnessed the in-person examination threshold for competency removed in order to operate these vehicles professionally under the guise of “reducing red tape”.

Alberta also removed the MELT requirements for anyone looking to get their class 2 license. This is the license required to operate, and transport a bus full of people. We expected a win earlier this year in March when the government was set to release an expansion on the slow down move over law to include all lanes slowing to 60km/hr. The signs were posted, media was ready, and the announcement was set to go out. But in a last minute change prior to the election in May, it was decided not to expand and improve the outdated law, and all the new "slow down/move over" signs we covered.

It won’t take long to erode the base of competency, and bad habits need time for their roots to dig in and take hold.

The use blue lights until February 2028 is an example of refinement, but there's still and end date and currently nothing is improving for education or examination. Removing MELT requirements along with in person examinations for a commercial license, and now the reduction in safety with the move over slow down law is a massive step back in safety.

This will progressively make our roads more dangerous for emergency personnel, roadside workers, and the motoring public, as time goes on.

We can all help improve road safety by being patient, and working together. Driving is a group activity, and we’re all in this together. If we do our best to slow down when we see an emergency scene, and move over - this can help save a life and make sure we all make it home safely at the end of the day. Despite not having laws to effectively slow down traffic to keep workers safe, we can still work together, look out for one another, and do our best on the side of the road to keep each other safe.

Ryan Lemont
Tuber Towing
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