Drivers across Vancouver Island are being urged to slow down and stay alert as a new campaign highlights the dangers roadside workers face every day.

Road Safety at Work has launched its annual Work Zone Safety campaign, reminding motorists that distraction, speeding, and inattention can put workers at serious risk.

According to the organization, 11 roadside workers were killed in B.C. between 2016 and 2025, while another 263 were injured badly enough to miss work.

The campaign kicked off this week with an enforcement blitz in Surrey, where RCMP issued tickets for distracted driving and also stopped an impaired driver, along with several people driving without licences or insurance.

Officials say roadside work zones become more common in spring and summer, with construction crews, utility workers, tow operators, and emergency responders often working just metres from moving traffic.

Drivers are being reminded to slow down, avoid distractions, and obey traffic control personnel when travelling through work zones.

They’re also required to follow B.C.’s Slow Down, Move Over law when approaching vehicles with flashing lights, reducing speed to 70 kilometres an hour on higher-speed roads, or 40 kilometres an hour in lower-speed zones.

Road Safety at Work says staying focused behind the wheel is one of the simplest ways drivers can help roadside workers get home safely.

Get details at B.C. RCMP.