Lloydminster saw 117 injury motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) in 2024, 94 in 2023, 54 in 2022 and 31 in 2021. In one way, this is surprising, however, in another, sadly it isn’t.
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There were 439 reportable collisions in 2024 compared with: 450 in 2023, 623 in 2022 and 474 in 2021. A reportable collision is based on the total estimated damage caused to everything involved.
Vehicles, light posts, street signs, etc. Although this number has gone down, remember, the threshold amount in Alberta went from $2,000 to $5,000 on Jan. 1. This change alone will skew the collision numbers for 2024 as anything under $5,000 was not required to be reported.
Just imagine if drivers obeyed all traffic laws. Less financial costs, fewer hospital visits, lost time at work, law enforcement time focusing on traffic and less court time. Not to mention less stress and worry and of course, fewer injuries/deaths. With laws, non-compliance is the root of offences, not law enforcement.
Some law enforcement actions are specifically taken to deter offences, but, if an individual is willingly non-compliant, in many cases, law enforcement deterrents aren’t effective.
I’ve ticketed drivers for having glazing/tint on the front side windows with drivers telling me they will pay the fine but not remove the glazing (which results in the vehicle being towed). By the way, a company applying glazing on these windows can also be ticketed, but have these consequences deterred the application and use of it? I don’t believe so.
Yes, offenders can face legal consequences, but again, people complying with the laws is the solution, not law enforcement. Just imagine the reduction in MVCs if drivers complied with traffic laws.
Cellphone use, stop-sign and red-light violations, failure to use signals and speed are often factors in collisions, but not all are provable to meet a court conviction standard. It is not uncommon for drivers to provide law enforcement with false information when an incident or violation happens. Not being able to prove something legally doesn’t absolve the driver.
Why should you see liquor containers along roads or have to react suddenly because a vehicle is coming head-on in your lane? Why do friends and family have to be exposed to the tragedy of losing a loved one to an impaired driver?
As a passenger, hold your driver accountable because the consequences can be disastrous. Many families that have been victims of defiant drivers will thank you. The more driving infractions by a driver makes them high-risk on the roadways. This also lends to the likelihood the driver, as a rule, is more consistently a threat to other motorists and more likely to be involved in collisions. If we could figure out why drivers willingly expose themselves and others to so much risk we could be in line for a Noble Peace Prize, but this so far, has eluded law enforcement. Just imagine.
– Staff Sgt. Jerry Nutbown, is the NCO in charge of the Lloydminster RCMP detachment’s General Investigation Section. Stay tuned for future articles from the Lloydminster RCMP.
This column was originally published in the April 3, 2025, edition of the Meridian Source.
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