Following the recent death of a road traffic signaller there are renewed calls for tougher penalties for those breaking the law in construction zones.
On November 7, Michel Carmel was controlling traffic at a road paving operation on Highway 220 in Bonsecours in the Eastern Townships.
According to a fellow signaler he was struck by a driver using her cell phone at the time. Jane Hannaburg told radio station 98.5FM the driver seemed angry when she was told to wait. She said the driver pulled a U-turn and hit Carmel twice.
Other witnesses also said they saw the driver on her cell phone as she approached the construction site.
The 60-year-old man was taken to hospital where he died one week later. He's the sixth signaller to be fatally struck in Quebec since 2010.
"It's tragic," a woman who works in the area told CTV Montreal. "It should drive the message home that even if we'll be delayed a few minutes, we have to respect those who are working on our roads."
Quebec's Highway and Road Signallers Association is calling on the government to do more to protect its members. The group said too many drivers don't respect signallers and publicity campaigns encouraging drivers slow down and put down their phones simply do not work.
"Under the law, a signaller is considered the same as a stop sign," said Jean-Francois Dionne. "If he hadn't died, the woman would only have three demerit points and been fined $132. We are human beings."