While impaired driving and distracted driving continue to be factors in many collisions in Alberta, excessive speeding also remains one of the leading causes of crashes, say area police.
The provincial government has launched a month-long campaign aimed at highlighting the dangers and consequences of speeding.
RCMP in the region would like drivers to be aware of the need to always make an effort to drive within limits.
“Speeding is one of the high-risk areas for traffic safety,” said Sundre RCMP Sgt. Jim Lank. “There are always going to be speeders out there, on our highways and county roads. The intent is to make people aware of these issues.”
Speeding increases risk for motorists in several ways, said Lank.
“There are a whole bunch of factors there,” he said. “The capability of the driver and the capability of the vehicle to be safely operated.
“The higher the speed you go the more dangerous it becomes. And of course with reaction times, it takes longer to stop.”
Didsbury RCMP Cpl. Resus Organ said officers are seeing far too much speeding in the district, and in particular on back roads.
“We have a huge problem with people speeding on these back roads and failing to stop at stop signs,” said Organ. “The limit is 80 kilometres per hour and we are consistently getting guys 20 and 40 over. They come up to the intersections and are unable to stop or they are driving right through them.
“Speeding causes collisions. On these back roads and on the dirt roads with the higher speeds you can't control your vehicle as well as you should be able to.”
In February, a Mountain View County peace officer stopped a driver doing 133 km/hour on the 80 km/hour Rge. Rd. 14 north of Highway 580.
As part of the new provincial campaign, Alberta Transportation has released some new statistics aimed at increasing awareness:
• Between 2010 and 2014, 451 people in Alberta were killed and 11,753 were injured in collisions involving unsafe speed.
• Motor vehicle collisions were the second leading cause (after falls) of head injury hospital admissions and accounted for 27 per cent of brain injuries, with an average of 602 hospital admissions each year.
• In the past 10 years, there were an average of 1,165 convictions each year for speeding more than 50 km/h over the speed limit.
• A vehicle travelling at 50 km/h takes 37 metres to stop, while one moving at 110 km/h needs 126 metres to stop, nearly three times the distance.
Minister of Transportation Brian Mason said reducing speeds on roads and highways lessens risk.
“The faster you are driving, the less time you have to react to anything unexpected,” Mason said in a press release. “Speeding also reduces the effectiveness of seatbelts and other safety devices such as airbags and side impact beams. By the time you realize you're going too fast – it may be too late.
“Safety should be everyone's priority on the road. We will continue to work with law enforcement and our traffic safety partners to prevent speed-related collisions.”
Demerits for speeding in Alberta range from two points for exceeding the posted limit by less than 15 km/h, to six points for exceeding the posted limit by more than 50 km/h.
Fines for speeding also double when workers are present in construction zones. This includes workers on or near the road who are operating heavy equipment or doing other work in the construction zone.
"The higher the speed you go the more dangerous it becomes. "Sgt. Jim LankSundre RCMP detachment commander
