TURNER VALLEY - Speeding tickets issued by peace officers in Turner Valley more than doubled last year from 2018 as officers cracked down on enforcement.
Turner Valley Municipal Enforcement’s year-end report shows speeding violations increased from 106 in 2018 to 223 last year, which peace officer and municipal enforcement supervisor Trever Bowman says is a result of more deployment.
Streets experiencing the highest offences, he said, are 16th Avenue and Decalta Road. Bowman attributes this to Google Maps highlighting these roads as the quickest route for motorists travelling southbound on Highway 22 heading to Longview, B.C. or the U.S.
“We got an increased volume of traffic complaints and speeding complaints in these areas because we’re seeing a significant increase in traffic volume on those roadways,” Bowman said. “We’re seeing an increase of people who are non-residents to the Diamond Valley area.”
Bowman said while speed limits are clearly posted, motorists often exceed the 50 km/hr limit on both Decalta Road and 16th Avenue by 20 to 35 km/hr.
To help deter speeding, the Town periodically places electronic signboards to show motorists how fast they’re travelling, he said.
“In some ways it’s successful and in some ways it’s not,” he said. “Unfortunately, some people are just not paying attention to it and continue on. The reasons vary – I didn’t see the signs or I’m not familiar with the area.”
Bowman said traffic is busiest and speeding is most prevalent Fridays to Sundays from May to August.
“We need to get those speeds down for the safety of our residents,” he said. “Now, the road conditions aren’t the best for driving so people are exercising more caution than they normally would be. We appreciate that because they’re paying more attention to the road.”
Distracted driving is another traffic violation Bowman and fellow peace officer Todd O’Leary are on the lookout out for.
“Distracted driving in the province of Alberta causes more traffic-related injuries and deaths than impaired driving, according to the Alberta Motor Association,” said Bowman. “We take a hard line on distracted driving. Despite the advancements in Bluetooth technology, we’re not seeing a sizable decease in our distracted driving convictions. It’s a high risk driving behaviour that causes significant problems for everyone.”
Even using a cellphone to program GPS is considered distracted driving, he said.
While Turner Valley is not among the municipalities participating in pilot projects or running their own distracted driving programs, Bowman and O’Leary continue to remain on top of it and ask motorists to put their cell phones down, be aware of road conditions and drive accordingly.
The Municipal Enforcement year-end report shows municipal enforcement experienced a three per cent increase in calls for service last year over 2018 and a 13 per cent decrease in the number of citations issues by various bylaw and provincial infractions.
