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Pilot project aims to lower speeding on QEII and other major Alberta highways

Phase one includes safety messages and enforcement
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A two-phase pilot project to reduce the overall average speed on the QEII Hwy and other major transportation corridors in Alberta is planned for April and May.

Alberta Traffic Services said in a release on Tuesday that speeding in the province’s rural and urban centres continues to be a problem. Between 2009 and 2014, speed was a factor in 16 per cent of the total 6,351 fatal and serious injury collisions reported in Alberta RCMP jurisdictions.

“Even the best of drivers won’t be able to react to potential hazards on the road when travelling at higher speeds. Drivers need to respect the speed limits, and drive according to traffic and weather conditions to make sure everyone gets home safely,” said RCMP Inspector Steve Daley, Acting Officer-in-Charge of Alberta Traffic Services.

Speeding is not only driving at speeds beyond the posted limits, but also includes driving too fast for weather and traffic conditions. The World Health Organization states that speeds just 5 km/h above average in 60 km/h urban areas and 10 km/h above average in rural areas are sufficient to double the risk of a collision.

Select units from Alberta RCMP Traffic Services will participate in the pilot project. It examines different combinations of deployment strategies: visible enforcement and media coverage, and their impact on reducing overall average speed on identified sections of highways.

During the first phase in April, Alberta RCMP Traffic Services in collaboration with Alberta Transportation, will display speed-related safety messages on reader boards at pre-determined locations on Alberta highways from late March to early April. The messages will be supported by enforcement.

Speed-related data will be collected at several highway locations before, during and after the project to see if there was a reduction in overall average speed and when these reductions occurred. Details of phase two of the project will follow in April.