Paramedic Sara Nelson’s job is to save lives. Yet she often finds her own safety on the line as she provides emergency medical care at the roadside.
The reason? The actions of drivers around her.
“One of my biggest concerns out there is getting hit by passing cars,” she said.
It’s a concern shared by thousands of other British Columbians who also work at the roadside. They provide services ranging from construction to road and utility maintenance to towing disabled vehicles.
Roadside work takes place year round in B.C. Winter conditions make it even more dangerous. Slippery roads and poor visibility make it harder for drivers to control their vehicles, which pass within a few metres of workers like Nelson.
“Sometimes we're right there on a curve and drivers just don't expect us to be there,” she said.
B.C. law requires drivers to slow down and move over whenever they see a vehicle with flashing lights on the side of the road. That’s also the safest thing to do whenever any worker is at the roadside, whether it’s a truck driver securing a load or a municipal worker clearing a storm drain.
“Everyone deserves the right to feel safe at work,” says Trace Acres, program director for Road Safety at Work and spokesperson for its work zone safety awareness campaign. “When people work around traffic, they’re counting on drivers to give them plenty of room.”
Nine roadside workers were killed and 251 injured seriously enough to miss work from 2014 to 2023 in B.C., WorkSafeBC statistics show.
“Slowing down and moving over is a vital responsibility,” Acres adds. “Our driving decisions can help people working at the roadside make it home safe each day to their loved ones.”
Nelson and other paramedics follow strict safety protocols when providing assistance at crash scenes. They wear high-visibility clothing, turn on the ambulance’s flashing lights, and set out reflective triangles around the vehicle. Even with those precautions in place, close calls happen.
“Some drivers just zoom right past us,” Nelson says. “It's scary knowing that just one careless driver could put me or my patients in serious danger.”
Road Safety at Work offers the following tips for drivers to help keep themselves, their passengers, and workers safe around work roadside zones:
- Slow down and drive with care.
- Pay attention and leave your phone alone.
- Obey road signs, traffic control devices such as cones and barrels, and traffic control people.
Nelson encourages drivers to respect the rules and the workers. “You’re helping to protect the lives of those who are out there helping others.”
Road Safety at Work aims to eliminate injuries and deaths in work-related crashes in B.C. Its work zone safety campaign is supported by the Work Zone Safety Alliance.
