The Medicine Hat Police Service traffic safety focus for the month of January is Intersection Safety.

Intersections are high-risk locations because drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists converge in intersections and need to safely cross each others’ paths. Aggressive behaviours like speeding, running red lights, or entering the intersection without properly looking can result in collisions, injury, and death.

Intersection Safety Facts:

· On average, 65 people are killed and 8,024 are injured each year at intersections in Alberta.

· About 96% of intersection collisions occurred in urban areas from 2012-2016. However, over half (about 53%) of fatal intersection collisions during the same time occurred in rural intersections.

· Over 85% of collisions involve a driver error. Three of the top five driver errors identified in casualty collisions occur in intersections: left turns, stop sign violations, and disobeying a traffic signal.

· Slush, snow, or ice was involved in about 14% of fatal collisions and 16% of injury collisions in 2016. This makes it especially important to slow down and be careful approaching and crossing intersections this winter.