A safety blitz from May 3-6 led to 663 charges laid against drivers on Alberta’s Highway 63, dubbed “the killer highway,” which runs between Edmonton and Fort McMurray.
Safety on the highway is high on public radar after seven people died in a head-on collision in late April. The accident prompted repeated demands that the busy road be twinned.
Premier Alison Redford said she would consider accelerating plans to twin Highway 63, the only major route between the provincial capital and the busy oilsands hub.
The safety blitz saw 552 speeding tickets issued. There were also 95 tickets for dangerous driving, four for alcohol-related infractions, four seatbelt infractions and eight violations related to licences and insurance.
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“While some factors such as weather are outside of a driver’s control, drivers do have control over how they choose to drive,” said RCMP chief superintendant Rick Taylor in the news release.
“Choosing to drive safely can save your own life and the lives of passengers and other travellers.”
The four-day enforcement blitz involved twice the number of hours usually spent during “enhanced operations.” As a result, about double the number of tickets were issued than is usual during such blitzes.
Fifteen traffic sheriffs and RCMP officers are involved in traffic safety patrols on Highway 63.
Cost of twinning 240 kilometres of the highway is estimated at $1 billion, in part because of the challenges of construction on muskeg.
