It happened again.
Another flag person was hit and badly hurt in another roadway incident. Another community shocked by the tragedy;
another call from police looking for witnesses. Add another tragic case to
approximately 400 or so that occurred in this province alone in the last
decade. This particular incident
occurred in Northern BC on July 21st, but a quick scan of any
news feed will show you just how common this sort of incident really is in
North America.
In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports in their Fatal occupational injuries by selected
characteristics, 2003-2011 publication 373 entirely preventable worker
deaths while directing or flagging traffic.
Despite our best efforts
at education, on-site warnings, large signs proclaiming “My Mommy works here”, even labeling cones with the words “Mom” and
“Dad”, it just keeps happening.
A few days ago I was out for a walk. At one intersection, a crew of electricians
was working on the overhead traffic signals.
A flagger was controlling some of the traffic lanes and also directing
pedestrians to cross when safe to do so.
She was about five and a half feet tall but with the hi-viz fluorescent
green/yellow coveralls and jacket, hard hat and safety boots she had a six foot
presence.
I watched as she used her body language, voice, stop/slow
sign, and eye contact to effectively manage the flow of most drivers and
pedestrians. However, in the space of
two minutes, she was nearly hit twice. Both drivers were down the road in an instant;
and one actually slowed down, turned and sheepishly mouthed “Sorry”… the other
just accelerated through the intersection in a literal cloud of dust. Through
all of this, the flagger stayed calm and focused on her immediate task: the
safety of crew, drivers and pedestrians like me.
In an extended break in the action as the equipment and
crews were out of the intersection, I asked her about her job and, in
particular, what she thought was behind the two close calls I witnessed. She said, “It happens all the time” and
added, “If you could see the [stuff] I see…”.
She described people on their cell phones or texting, others
with dogs on their laps, and even a cab driver—supposedly a professional
driver—eating noodle soup from a bowl. “If you could see the [stuff] I see…”
Her comment got me thinking.
Red light cameras are widely accepted.
I note some jurisdictions are putting photo radar in construction
zones (Saskatchewan). Others are
banning cell phone use in construction zones (in Illinois, any phone use at all, hands-free or hand-held, is
illegal statewide in school and construction zones) but I don’t know of any
jurisdiction that installs “cone zone cameras” –not to detect speeding in
construction zones but to actually record what the flagger actually sees. Why don’t we have “cone zone cameras” ?
Police cruisers are fitted with dashboard cameras, cabs have
cameras that record passengers, some police forces and security personnel have
wearable video recorders. Why not
flaggers? Video evidence is curtailing
property crime and has been invaluable to investigators when serious incidents
occurs on transit systems, in airports and at public events.
Most of us respect flag personnel. Most of us understand the inherent risk their
jobs entail. Most of us will not speed
by them, cut corners, or disobey their directions. For the few that do, my guess is that the
behavior is not isolated to a particular cone zone and one particular time. Identification and intervention may make a
difference but most of our ad campaigns and public education are preaching to
the converted. Perhaps a database of
outrageous violations will help us identify those that really need to hear the
message.
Flagging should not mean putting your life on the line or
under the wheel of a distracted driver’s car or a bloody image in the rear view
mirror of someone who really couldn't care less. Cone zone cameras focused on the “stuff”
flaggers actually see might be an added deterrent and could help make a
difference.
