For drivers

You have a role to play in keeping workers and yourself safe when you drive through work zones, often referred to as cone zones. The law requires you to pay attention, follow signs and instructions, and give workers space. Use our resources to learn more about the legal requirements and best safety practices for driving in work zones.

Work zones are risky for workers and drivers

Think about the workplace you go to every day. Now, imagine cars and trucks whizzing by within just a few metres of you. That’s how vulnerable roadside workers are. Sometimes, orange cones are the only things separating their work site from moving vehicles weighing several tonnes.

How you drive in work zones can be the difference between workers staying safe on the job, or suffering an injury or being killed. Going too fast, or driving distracted or aggressively, can cause rear-end collisions and other crashes. And, if you’re not paying attention, you could hit or be hit by vehicles and equipment working in the zone.

According to WorkSafeBC statistics, 9 roadside workers were hit by a vehicle and killed in BC from 2014 through 2023. Another 251 people were injured seriously enough to miss work. Drivers and their passengers were also hurt.

Every worker is someone’s parent, child, friend, neighbour, or co-worker.

Work zone driving laws

Some roadside work zones use signs, flag persons, and cones to let drivers know where they are. Others use a vehicle with red, blue, amber, or white lights flashing. 

When you approach and pass through one of these zones, you have specific legal responsibilities. The rules apply even if you can’t see the workers on site.

Work zone driving penalties

The typical fines in BC for work zone violations include:

• Failing to follow the Slow Down, Move Over Law: $173 and 3 points
• Using an electronic device while driving: $368
• Speeding: $196 and up
• Disobeying a traffic control device: $121
• Disobeying a traffic control person: $196

How to recognize a roadside work zone

A roadside work zone is any area next to a road where a worker may be exposed to the hazards of moving vehicles. It can be fixed in one place, such as a construction site or the area around a tow truck picking up a stranded vehicle. Or it can be mobile work, such as mowing, line painting, or garbage and recycling collection.

These types of work sites involve hundreds of activities. Tens of thousands of BC residents work in these zones every day, including municipal workers, landscapers, traffic control persons, tow truck drivers, road construction and maintenance workers, telecommunications and utility workers, and emergency and enforcement personnel. 

Every one of them deserves to get home safe and healthy. You and your passengers do too.

You can often recognize a work zone by its bright orange cones, signs, devices, and traffic control persons. But not all work zones use cones. They may use barriers like barrels and fences, rumble strips, electronic signs, and reflectors instead.

And not all roadside workers are protected by work zone barriers. For example, paramedics treat patients who have been hurt on or near roads. Without any protective barriers, they need drivers to give them as much space and consideration as possible.

A work zone extends from the first traffic control device you can see to the last one you can see. It can be hundreds of metres long, or only extend several metres around a work vehicle parked at the roadside. It may be in place for weeks or just for a few hours. In all cases, you’re responsible for obeying all driving instructions and sharing the road safely.

Watch for automated flagger assistance devices (AFADs)

You may encounter an automated flagger assistance device (AFAD) on BC roadways. They’re becoming more common at work zones because they help keep you and roadside workers safe while effectively managing traffic.

AFADs are portable equipment with highly visible signs that are remotely operated by traffic control persons. They have red and yellow traffic lights and a gate arm that moves up and down with a fluorescent orange or red flag. You may see them on 2-lane, 2-way roads, and on multi-lane roads that have been reduced to one lane.

The light on an AFAD tells you what to do:

• Flashing yellow: Drive with care.
• Solid yellow: Prepare to stop.
• A red light: Stop.

Stop at least one car length from the AFAD when the arm is down and the light is either solid yellow or red. Don’t proceed even if there is no oncoming traffic.

Drive ahead only when the light switches to flashing yellow and the gate arm is fully raised.

Work zone driving tips

When you approach a work zone, drive like one of your loved ones or a close friend works there.  There’s a lot going on around you: shifting traffic patterns, uneven or narrow road surfaces, sudden stops, lane changes, and traffic control devices and persons.

Follow work zone driving laws, respect roadside workers, and be patient. Brief delays are sometimes necessary to help keep you, your passengers, and the workers safe.

Here are additional tips for driving in work zones:

Test your knowledge by taking our Driving in a Work Zone Quiz.

Work zone tips for commercial drivers

Large blind spots, long stopping distances, and narrow lanes make work zones particularly challenging for large trucks and buses.

As you approach lane closures, check your blind spots and move into the open lane as soon as possible. Help prevent rear-end crashes by obeying speed limits, avoiding distractions, and maintaining extra space between your vehicle and the one in front of you.

If you need to suddenly slow down or stop, use your emergency flashers to alert drivers behind you.

Learn more about driving for work and winter driving for commercial carriers.

Understanding work zone signs

Work zone signs warn drivers of upcoming roadside sites and changes in traffic patterns. Drivers need to pay attention to the warnings and follow instructions on the signs and readerboards. Here’s what the signs tell you.

Resources