For Immediate Release:
2018-07-19
For the Remaining Summer Months Residents of the Town of Legal
and Sturgeon County Residences in the area of Legal Will See an
Increase in Traffic Enforcement
Morinville RCMP and its law enforcement partners will be stepping up patrols in the Town of Legal and Sturgeon County roads and Highways including Highway 651 near the Town of Legal. Specific attention will be made in the area of intersection safety, speeding and distracting driving along with any Criminal driving offences that law enforcement may encounter. This is not saying other non-compliance such as no seatbelts will be ignored. The RCMP will be on the lookout for any traffic safety infractions.
Speeding
Driving a few km/h over the posted speed limit:
- Reduces your ability to steer safely around curves or objects on the road.
- Decreases your field of vision and your peripheral vision.
- Extends the distance required to stop your vehicle in emergency situations.
- Reduces your ability to obey traffic control devices such as red lights and stop signs.
- Increases the chance that you will lose control of your vehicle.
- Reduces the effectiveness of seatbelts and other safety devices such as airbags and side impact beams.
- Increases the probability of death or injury if there is a crash.
- Reduces the effectiveness of roadside hardware such as barriers, crash cushions and bridge rails.
Speed limit in school and playground zones:
- The speed limit in both urban and rural school zones is 30 km/h and is in effect on school days from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. unless other times are posted by the municipality. In the Town of Morinville school zones start at 7:30 am and end at 4:30 pm.
- The speed limit in a playground zone is 30 km/h and is in effect from 8:30 a.m. to one hour after sunset.
- A vehicle is not permitted to pass another vehicle travelling in the same direction in either school or playground zones during the times these zones are in effect.
Emergency vehicles and construction zones:
- Motorists must slow to 60 km/h, or less if the posted speed is lower, when passing emergency vehicles or tow trucks stopped with their lights flashing. Fines for speeding in these areas will be double the regular amount.
- If there are two or more traffic lanes in the same direction as the emergency vehicle or tow truck, passing vehicles need only slow down in the lane immediately beside the stopped emergency vehicle. Vehicles travelling in other lanes, including oncoming lanes, may maintain their speed but should proceed with caution.
- Emergency vehicles include fire, police, ambulance, tow trucks, and a vehicle used by a gas disconnection unit of a public utility or a designated emergency response unit.
- In construction zones, motorists must observe the posted speed. When workers are present, fines for speeding in these areas will be doubled. This is where workers are on or near the road, operating heavy equipment, directing traffic, or using hand tools within the construction zone. Drivers need to look out for workers who are behind construction equipment and less visible.
What percentage of fatal crashes involve speeding?
Almost three out of every ten fatal crashes are the result of driving at a speed unsafe for the prevailing road conditions.
What does the maximum speed limit mean?
Posted speed limits are the maximum speeds permitted if conditions are favourable.
What can you do?
- Obey all posted speed limits on roads as well as in school zones and playground areas, construction zones, and when passing emergency vehicles.
- Use common sense—slow down in bad weather, at night, and when driving on poorly lit roads.
- Slow down on unfamiliar roads.
Intersection Safety
Bad habits collide in intersections. Whether rural or urban based, intersections are the place where conflict between vehicles and pedestrians have dire consequences. Road conditions are unpredictable and the lighting conditions on our streets and highways vary. For this reason we urge people to always use caution when approaching intersections, prepare for the unexpected and share the road safely.
Below are some stats specific to intersection safety in Alberta:
- In 2014, 52 people were killed and 8,358 people were injured in collisions at intersections in Alberta.
- 95.6 per cent of collisions occurred at intersections in urban areas (2014).
- Some people think that driving in the city has more risk, but this is not actually true - 61.7 per cent of fatal intersection-related collisions happened in rural intersections during 2014.
- In 2014, about 86 per cent of all collisions are attributable to driver error. In Alberta, three of the top five most frequent driver errors in casualty collisions were making a left turn across the path of an on-coming vehicle (12.2 per cent), committing a stop sign violation (8.3 per cent), and disobeying a traffic signal (6.9 per cent).
- Slush, snow or ice was involved in 18 per cent of fatal collisions and 23.9 per cent of non-fatal injury collisions. Visit 511 Alberta to find out the road conditions before you head out on the road.
Intersections can be dangerous. Leave room, turn safely and don't run stop signs or red lights.
Distracted Driving.
Many people are guilty of checking their phone at stop lights. This interferes with driving as people may be unaware of the regular flow of traffic, changing lights, pedestrians taking extra time to cross the street, or impeding traffic while you’re looking down at your phone.
The Facts:
- Research indicates that driver distractions contribute to 20 to 30 per cent of all collisions and that distracted drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a collision than attentive drivers.
- Between September 1, 2011, when distracted driving legislation was introduced, and March 31, 2017, there were 139,579 convictions.
- 97 per cent of these convictions were for using a hand-held electronic device while driving.
- During 2016-17, male drivers accounted for nearly two-thirds of all convictions.
- Young male drivers, age 22 to 34 years, have the highest conviction rates.
