A recent Calgary Herald article has revealed that as the population of the city is growing, so are incidences of vehicle crashes involving serious injuries.
Total injury collisions — classified as minor, serious, life-threatening, and life-altering by Calgary police — are on the rise. According to police data, in 2023 there were 2,633 injury collisions, an increase of 219 from the previous year.
Fatal collisions also increased in Calgary last year, with 24 collision-related deaths — five more than in 2022 and 10 more than in 2021. There were 543 major-injury collisions, up 76 from 2022. Those numbers represent the highest number of major injury and fatality collisions in the past five years.
Crashes involving vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists, also reached a five-year high.
Distracted driving
When instructing new drivers, Dennis Porter, AMA’s senior instructor for novice drivers, advises them to turn off their phones to prevent distracted driving with the aim to instill this habit early on. This also teaches new drivers to take note of other drivers who are distracted.
“They understand distracted driving and don’t want to engage in it.”
The most common driving mistakes Porter observes are distracted driving, following too closely, and not checking blind spots before changing lanes or turning.
Calgary police stated that distracted driving tickets have steadily decreased over several years, attributing this to the addition of demerits in 2016 and fewer drivers on the road during COVID-19 restrictions. While using GPS devices, playing music from your phone, and hands-free calling are permitted within the legislation, touching the phone is not.
“For example, putting your phone on speaker mode and holding it in your hand, that is distracted driving,” Porter said.
A distracted driving ticket is not to be taken lightly. Vehicle insurance brokers such as us at Lane’s are hearing more and more from drivers who are having a hard time renewing their insurance because of a distracted driving ticket. Consumers are telling of incidences where they had their collision and comprehensive coverage removed while their rates were also increased considerably — some say as much as 25%. Insurance companies are taking distracted driving tickets very seriously, which is added incentive to keep your phone at a distance from the moment you unlock your door to when you shut off your engine.
Winter driving in Calgary
Winter driving is a lot different than driving on clear roads.
A common accusation made is that Calgarians forget how to drive every winter, but Porter disagrees. He observes that when it first snows, some drivers are overconfident, especially regarding stopping distance. Drivers often carry habits from warmer months into winter, when snowy and icy conditions prevail. Porter recommends increasing stopping distances, advising his students to maintain a minimum three-second distance between vehicles in good weather. When there are hazardous conditions like snow, drivers should add another second or two.
Keeping a safe distance is one aspect of defensive driving, which focuses on defending yourself from the actions of others on the road. Defensive driving teaches to always be aware of your surroundings and be ready to respond should something go wrong. A defensive driver is one who is always ready to react because they have fully prepared themselves for all eventualities.
Defensive driving courses are offered through licensed driver training schools. These organizations are licensed by Alberta Transportation and should have their credentials prominently displayed. Depending on your situation, taking a defensive driving course could result in lower car insurance rates. The completion of the proper course could also reduce the number of demerits on your license, and many are conveniently offered online.
City of Calgary 2024-28 Safer Mobility Plan
Calgary police and the City of Calgary are consistently working to reduce harm on city roads. The new Safer Mobility Plan outlines collision targets from 2024-28 and aims to identify gaps in past programs and develop new strategies to address them. Specifically, the plan targets a 25% reduction of major injuries and fatalities over the course of the five-year plan.
Lane’s Insurance covers Alberta
Lane’s Insurance is a leading Alberta-based brokerage offering excellent rates and outstanding service to customers throughout the province. If you’re looking for superior coverage for very competitive prices and you want an insurance provider that prioritizes courteous, personalized service and the industry’s most complete claims support. Lane’s Insurance is a leading Alberta-based brokerage working out of Calgary, Banff, Edmonton and greater Alberta.
