Collisions down in COVID-19 but traffic deaths nearly same as 2019

Collisions on Edmonton streets have dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the city says nearly as many people have died in traffic-related incidents so far this year as in 2019.

Jessica Lamarre, the City of Edmonton's director of traffic safety, said the volume of traffic decreased at different points in the past eight monthsand likewise, so did collisions.

However, 12 people have died in traffic collisions so far this year, compared to 14in 2019.

"Which tells us things like speed and impairment continue to be extremely risky behaviour not only risky, but also illegal that leads to tragedy," Lamarre said.

At a news conference Thursday, Lamarre presented an outline of the Safe Mobility Strategy 2021-2025, a new approach by the city to achieve Vision Zero.

The city adopted Vision Zero in 2015. The campaignstarted inSweden in 1997 with the long-term goal of zero traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries.

In 2015, 32 people died from traffic collisions on Edmonton roads.

By 2019, thatdeath toll had been cut in half, and Lamarre saidthere were 30 per cent fewer serious injuries than five years earlier.

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Lamarre noted that 69 per cent of serious collisions and deaths are on arterial roads.

"We know when we look at the cause of those crashes that 80 per cent of those crashes are the results of driver error."

Since Vision Zero began in Edmonton, 82 crosswalks have been upgraded, the report says.

Pedestrian vs driver

Safety measures, such as improving signals and signs at intersections, have proven effective for drivers but not so much for pedestrians and cyclists.

The report shows from 2015 to 2019, motorcycle crashes were down about 60 per cent and other vehicle crashes declined by30 per cent.

Crashes involving pedestrians were down 10 per cent, and those with cyclists didn't change.

The city uses data from Edmonton police reports to dissect causes and elements related to collisions.

In 2019, the top causes of serious and fatal collisions were tailgating, drivers losing control and running off the road, not yielding to a pedestrian, drivers running red lights, and turning left across the path of another vehicle or person.

In the coming months, Lamarre said, the city will continue exploring traffic-calming measures and safety improvements.

She said there are many options, including community-focused projects like jersey barriers painted by local artists orvibrant crosswalks with creative paint.

In recent years, the city has installed eight scramble crosswalks and synchronized signals, she noted.

Council's urban planning committee will review the strategy at a meeting Tuesday.

Like previous traffic safety work, the new strategy will be funded by the automated enforcement reserve. Proposed budgets for new traffic safety work will be presented to city council early next year.

Photo radar

Part of the Safe Mobility Strategy includes photo radar, acontroversial area of speed enforcement that Coun. Andrew Knack hopescan be partly resolved.

"There's this never-ending debate on whether photo radar is a cash cow," Knack said.

More than a year ago, Knack asked city administration for an update on an interactive map they were working on that would show people if photo radar improved safety at various locations it's used around Edmonton.

"Instead of that immediate reaction of either it's good or it's bad, actually have some hard data to be able to show people and say, 'In each location, here's the specific impact we have seen when we use this tool.'"

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Knack said in the west end, the stretch on 142nd Street between 107th Avenue and Stony Plain Roadgets a lot of criticism.

The speed limit dropsto 50 km/h from 60 km/h.

"I'm not sure if that's making things better," Knack said. "Is there a better set of tools?"

Lamarre said that data and the interactive map to be posted on the city's open data site is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year.