Traffic Safety In Alberta Overview

The costs to society resulting from traffic collisions are staggering.

In Alberta in 2005, traffic collisions killed 466 people and caused an astounding 24,504 other non-fatal injuries.

The sad truth is that these deaths and injuries could have been prevented - because "accidents" don't just "happen". We know what causes traffic collisions.

Driver error: in 2005, approximately 90.6 per cent of all collisions involved an error on the part of at least one of the drivers.

Speed: in 2005, approximately 7.7 per cent of all collisions involved at least one driver travelling at a speed too great for the given conditions. This jumps to 30.8 per cent for fatal collisions.

Driver condition: in 2005, 4.6 per cent of all collisions involved at least one driver who had a physical condition that contributed to the collision (i.e. had been drinking, drug- or alcohol- impaired, fatigued, medical problem). This figure jumps to 29.1 per cent for fatal collisions.

What's being done in Alberta

The Alberta Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) provides community groups and other partners with the opportunity to act together to achieve greater safety on our roads. For over three years, the OTS has worked with a variety of stakeholders, communities, citizens, associations and businesses to create and deliver programs which target four key goals:

• Information/ Awareness: Getting good information to Albertans about driver errors, risks, habits, consequences and tips for driver improvement to positively influence driver attitude and behaviour. Traffic safety messages are promoted under the banner of "Think & Drive".
• Education: Developing educational programs for the school system is one key strategy. Bringing up a new generation of more responsible, safety-conscious individuals and ultimately drivers is the objective. Community- based traffic safety education represents the other focus. Local traffic safety initiatives can be much more effective in targeting specific issues and generating a stronger sense of ownership in producing results.
• Standards: Reviewing motor vehicle related standards to determine whether they are valid, up-to-date and/or appropriately address today's traffic safety issues and concerns is the focus here. Communicating with other jurisdictions and keeping current on driver qualifications, road design and vehicle safety improvements are key to improving road safety.
• Enforcement: Ensuring the proper tools are in place for the effective application of rules and regulations, as well as assessing their value as deterrents to poor driving habits. If people are generally concerned about traffic safety, know the rules of the road and understand risk factors and the consequences of risk-taking, there should be no excuse for breaking the rules of the road. For those who choose to disregard the rules, enforcement comes into play.

Working in partnership
The OTS works with injury prevention and enforcement agencies, the trucking and insurance industries, impaired driving groups, school bus organizations, health representatives and provincial government departments. Together, these stakeholders are working to achieve a maximum impact by targeting resources toward a sustained, all inclusive traffic safety program.

Community Linkages
Regional or community investment is essential to the successful delivery of the Office of Traffic Safety. Alberta communities - rural and urban - play a critical role in bringing traffic safety education to Albertans. The support of community leaders such as MLAs, local politicians or other high profile individuals is helpful in identifying local issues, encouraging involvement and developing solutions.

Our intent is to generate a higher level of individual interest in traffic safety. This creates an opportunity to combine that interest as a basis for encouraging community groups to play an active role in developing and delivering local safety programs.

For information, contact the Office of Traffic Safety at (780) 422-8839.

Updated December 20, 2004