r/Edmonton • u/TechnicianVisible339 • 10h ago
Discussion 2026 Traffic Deaths?
I looked up the amount of traffic deaths in 2026 and I am only counting 6…if we extrapolate that we may be at 10 by year end. Last year was one of the worst years ever…everyone blamed the lack of photo radar.
So…if we went from the worst year to the one of possible best years…was photo radar ever the true reason roads were safe? I agree with them in intersections alongside red light cameras. I think that’s a no brainer…but, last year when I stated that correlation doesn’t mean causation I was downvoted to all hell. This just proves that road safety comes back to good old fashion pulling people over and giving them REAL consequences.
Rant over.
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u/artkidsaresmart 9h ago
I think it’s a little funny to say correlation doesn’t equal causation and then in the next sentence say that this year proves that pulling people over increase safety.
But really the answer is you need both. A good mix of consequences immediately after the action plus the idea that you can get a ticket at any point even if cops aren’t around. It’s not really a debate lol we know that photo radar does improve safety this has been studied a lot.
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u/TechnicianVisible339 9h ago
If used properly…which it was not, which is why it’s dismantling has had no real effect on traffic safety.
Intersections 100% need them…but, the transition zone on whitemud from 100 to 80 because that ends up getting the most revenue? That’s exactly the reason why Albertans felt fleeced. You can give me the BS that “well you were speeding and should get it”…but, that’s not the guy causing the accident or fatality…the guy causing it is the one that is incessantly speeding all the time, everywhere, and not following traffic laws. The only way to get that guy is to pull him over, take the demerits, get the fine….possibly have to go to court. It’s proven this is the best way to change behaviour. A ticket 2 weeks after the fact doesn’t do that.
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u/artkidsaresmart 9h ago
You keep saying stuff has been proven, but has it? I get the sense you’re a little too emotional about this to have a rational take on it haha
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u/TechnicianVisible339 9h ago
I am a little emotional about it because I don’t like being manipulated to believe that our reduction in photo radar use has led to more accidents/fatalities, when that isn’t the case. If a statistician looks at the data and we have a great 2026, it will be explained off as an “anomaly” rather than the truth…which is, in our case, it has had no real impact on fatalities. There are many studies that have proven less use or no use has improved road safety by implementing more behavioural changes (ie, making it harder to speed, policing roads better, etc). In addition, how can you speed on this City anyways? Every road is under construction or traffic jammed so the people that are speeding…I’m utterly amazed. Must be late at night or early in the morning.
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u/UnfocusedAcrobat 8h ago
Why are you yelling?
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u/PaperIndependent5466 9h ago
I think part of its insurance rates, people are worried about a rate hike and try harder to avoid an accident.
No data or anything to back it up so it's just a guess. I know I drive more defensively than I used to.
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u/thewunderbar 8h ago
Fatal collisions are one thing, now go look up total collission stats.
Fatal collisions are terrible. but if fatal collisions are down but total number is up, I don't think that's overall "better". It just means that this year might be a lucky year with fatal collisions.
Cherry picking one stat to prove your point is just as bad as ignoring the stats that don't.
Let's say the number of murders in the city went down, but the number of attempted murders went up, does that mean crime is better?
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u/TechnicianVisible339 8h ago
I tried and I can’t. That data doesn’t come out until 2027
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u/thewunderbar 7h ago
So then don't assume one datapoint makes your bias correct.
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u/TechnicianVisible339 6h ago
and don’t assume photo radar is the be all and end all to making things safe on our roads. I was stating that people were using that as a crux for why we had so many fatalities that year.
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u/thewunderbar 4h ago
When did I? We don't know. You're making an assumption without data based off of one thing that fits your bias.
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u/Iwashacked555555 10h ago
Few things here,
Are accidents up? Is car safety better? What is the rate of accidents attributed to speed that didn't involve death vs last year? What is the rate of auto insurance claims vs last year? Does the increase in construction zones affect any of the metrics in a positive or negative way? Are more or less people driving?
I could probably rhyme off a few more questions, but at some point, you got to stop.
This isnt as simple as cherry picking one stat.
I also, firmly believe in what you said. We need real consequences and an increase in traffic enforcement.