The snow is down across the Lakeland, but statistics show that some residents won’t be around to see it melt in the spring.
Twenty-five per cent of vehicle crashes resulting in fatalities on Alberta roads each year happen on slushy, icy or snowy roadways.
Transport Canada reports from 2021 show that 1,798 people were killed in vehicle collisions across the country — an overall average of five out of every 100,000 people in Canada. That number is 6.5 people for every 100,000 in Alberta. The highest fatality rates for vehicle collisions were in Prince Edward Island, with 10.5 per 100,000. Of those statistical deaths over the year, 20 per cent are attributed to poor driving conditions; the same percentage attributed to drunk driving collisions and distracted driving crashes. Of those statistical deaths, the age ranges between 25 and 34 make up 20 per cent of the fatalities — the same percentage as those in the over 65 category. Three percent of the fatalities were children under the age of four.
Winter driving can be a killer — for anyone.
Canada’s insurance providers say October and November are the leading months of the year for collision insurance claims, rising almost 50 per cent over other months. RCMP statistics for Alberta show that the months of November to January each year generate one third of the crashes they respond to.
For those seeing the math, rather than the emotion, it’s clear that winter driving months are no more dangerous than warmer months across Canada. In fact, according to North American statistics, summer is statistically the most prevalent time for crashes due to speed and in-attention.
But for those seeing the faces rather than the numbers, it’s another reminder of the responsibility held by each driver on our local and regional roads to pay attention to the changing driving patterns.