Traffic collisions involving injuries have fallen significantly since the speed limit was reduced on some Grande Prairie roads in 2020.
According to a recent analysis, following the city’s decision to lower the posted speed limits on four arterial routes, injury collisions in those areas declined by 56 per cent.
Officials say from 2017 to 2019, there were 294 injury collisions across four major roadways; however, in the three years following the speed limit changes, that number fell to 130- slicing the number of incidents in half, which Mayor Jackie Clayton says is a substantial improvement in road safety for drivers and pedestrians alike.
“Reducing injury collisions is not only about protecting lives but also about fostering a safe and welcoming community where residents and visitors feel secure on our streets,” she says.
Additionally, collision rates as a whole decreased by around 60 per cent when adjusted for traffic volumes.
The roadways included in the study were 100th Street- between 140th Avenue and 133rd Avenue, College Bypass- between 100th Avenue and 100th Street, 108th Street- between 100th Avenue and 69th Avenue, and 100th Avenue- between 108th Street and 124th Street.
