Drivers in Nova Scotia will notice some new signals on the roads in the coming weeks.

Automated flagging machines will now be seen at road construction sites around the province, replacing the need for workers to direct traffic.

Public Works Minister Kim Masland says the new machines will make those sites safer for workers. “You do not have someone standing on the side of the road with a sign, you have a flagging device,” said Masland. “So, if something’s going to get hit, it’s going to be this device and not a human.”

The new machines are not permitted on 100-series highways and will be limited to roads with a speed limit of 80km/h or less travelled by fewer than 200 cars per hour. The flagging device consists of a flag, one red light and one yellow light.

The signals used by the machine will be familiar to motorists. When the gate is raised, and the yellow light is flashing drivers should proceed with caution. When the gate is up and showing a solid yellow light, prepare to stop. And when the gate is down and the light is red, traffic must stop.

Masland says the devices are in use all over the country and have a proven safety record. The devices used here will be manufactured by Dartmouth based company Site 20/20.

The Public Works minister says it’s important to note these machines won’t be replacing existing workers, saying “Especially with the amount of construction that we have in the province right now there certainly is a shortage of flaggers in our province. This is in no way to try to replace people or take jobs away from people. That is something that I would never support,” said Masland. “These automatic flagging devices so they still would need to be calibrated they need to be set up to the scene of which these flagging devices would look after.”

Masland says the new flagging devices will give contractors one more tool in their toolbox to keep people safe on the job.

To listen to the conversation with Minister Masland about the new flagging machines, press play below.