It was just after 7 PM in early October on a remote stretch of Highway 1A near Exshaw, Alberta.
A utility crew was repairing a downed power line after a sudden cold front brought early snow to the Rockies. The job was nearly done. One technician had walked ahead to inspect a nearby pole.
The service truck didn’t see him — until he waved.
“He was in a high-vis vest,” says a senior crew lead. “But in that fog, with the snow starting, he was just a shadow. We were 40 meters out before we could make him out. At highway speed, that’s less than three seconds.”
They stopped in time. But the realization hit hard:
If he hadn’t turned toward us, we might not have seen him at all.
The Hidden Dangers of Mountain Work Zones
Alberta’s mountain corridors are some of the most beautiful — and dangerous — places to work after dark.
For utility and maintenance crews, the risks are real:
- Sudden fog rolling in from valleys, reducing visibility to meters
- Early snow and black ice making roads treacherous
- Narrow, winding roads with limited sightlines
- High-speed traffic that doesn’t slow for work zones
And with fall bringing more storms, wind, and outages, crews are spending more time on the road — often in conditions where traditional safety tools fail.
“Cones disappear in snow,” says a fleet safety officer. “Flashing lights reflect in fog. And reflective vests? They only help if someone’s looking in the right direction.”
The Turning Point: A Shift to Smarter Awareness
After the incident, the utility company launched a safety review.
“We’ve used radar, cameras, and extra spotters,” says a operations manager. “But in fog and snow, they’re not reliable.”
Then they tested Robofinity InsightDrive™.
“We were skeptical,” admits a driver. “But during a night trial in the Spray Valley, it spotted a worker 180 meters ahead — in fog, in snow, behind a vehicle. We didn’t see them until 60 meters out. InsightDrive™ saw them at 200.”
That changed everything.
Business Impact: Safer Crews, Fewer Risks
The company piloted InsightDrive™ on five utility and road maintenance vehicles. Within six weeks:
- Near-miss reports dropped to zero
- Crew confidence increased significantly
- No incidents involving oncoming traffic
“It’s not just about protecting our people,” says a safety director. “It’s about protecting the public. If a utility truck gets hit, it’s not just a repair delay — it’s a road closure, a potential fatality, and a community impact.”
Now, the agency is evaluating a full fleet rollout across its Calgary, Banff, and Jasper operations.
Why Alberta’s Utility Teams Need Smarter Vision
The Rockies demand more than cones and caution signs:
- Fog can form in minutes, hiding workers and vehicles
- Snow and ice reduce braking distance
- Remote zones mean help is hours away
- Wildlife crossings add another layer of risk
InsightDrive™ doesn’t rely on visible light — it detects heat signatures, allowing it to identify people, animals, and vehicles up to 656 feet (200 meters) ahead, even in total darkness, fog, or snow.
The Bottom Line: Safety Shouldn’t Depend on the Weather
For Alberta’s utility and maintenance crews — who keep power flowing, roads clear, and water running — safety should never be compromised by fog, snow, or fading light.
As one technician put it:
“We don’t just fix lines. We go home to families. And now, we can actually see the road to get back safely.”
Learn more about how InsightDrive™ supports utility and maintenance operations
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