Following concerns about pedestrian safety near schools and playgrounds, Lethbridge police responded with a month-long campaign to address traffic safety issues. Read More
Inattention, speeding, illegal U-turns and vehicles parked too close to intersections were among the key issues addressed by police during the month-long initiative
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Following concerns about pedestrian safety near schools and playgrounds, Lethbridge police responded in March with a month-long campaign to address traffic safety issues.
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The initiative saw Lethbridge police and community peace officers, as well as Alberta Sheriffs, visited most schools in the city, engaging with nearly 300 parents and students, issuing 16 tickets and giving numerous verbal and written warnings.
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Sgt. Daniel Lomness of the Lethbridge Police Service Traffic Response Unit said Tuesday the campaign was sparked by the number of pedestrians collisions that had occurred recently in the city.
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“It was something we needed to do as a police service to just bring awareness to everybody throughout the city, just to try and slow down and pay attention to your surroundings, and ensure our pedestrians were being cautious as well,” said Lomness.
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One such Lethbridge pedestrian collision occurred in January, when three Lethbridge siblings suffered serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle in a marked crosswalk while on their way to their school bus. A 60-year-old Lethbridge woman has been charged with careless driving in connection to that pedestrian collision
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Inattention, speeding, illegal U-turns and vehicles parked too close to intersections were among the key issues addressed by police during the month-long initiative.
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“We were out there trying to educate parents, students, anybody around, about how to drive safely, cross the road safely,” said Lomness.
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“Making sure kids are looking left, looking right, left again, looking ahead, behind them before they’re crossing. The biggest thing is ensuring that the vehicles are stopped and that they see the pedestrians before they’re crossing the road.”
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Cellphones remain a big distraction and are a huge concern for police, said Lomness.
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“Speeding in school zones and playground zones is high risk as well,” he said.
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“In those areas, we have younger kids sometimes that don’t understand the ramifications of jumping out between a couple of vehicles to get a ball that bounced out, so they just need to make sure we’re slowing down and paying attention to what’s happening and the environment around themselves.”
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Lomness said both drivers and pedestrians are both responsible for staying safe.
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“Drivers need to be paying more attention. Pedestrians need to take more caution. We just want to give ourselves the best chance to be (as) safe out there as we can.”
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During the campaign, on March 25, two 17-year-old boys were struck by an SUV while in a Lethbridge crosswalk, with both being taken to hospital. One teenager had minor injuries while the other was admitted with serious injuries but is expected to recover, said police.