OP-ED: Time to modernize our highways & crackdown on reckless drivers

Devin Dreeshen writes, "We recently introduced a new requirement for commercial carriers to provide driver experience records for Class 1 truckers when they move to another job."

Source: Facebook

Author: Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors

Across Alberta’s highways, the vast majority of drivers do the right thing. They pay attention, obey the rules, and share the road responsibly with their fellow drivers.

Yet too often our roads are treated as playgrounds by a dangerous few who drive recklessly and put every other road user at risk. Just recently, the Edmonton Police Service intercepted a street-racing meetup in northwest Edmonton, issuing 30 tickets and executing a warrant after more than 100 vehicles gathered to race on our streets.

That kind of behaviour is unacceptable, and our government is taking a stand, not only with street racers, but also with dangerous commercial truckers. Our message is clear: we will not tolerate unsafe driving in any form.

We recently introduced a new requirement for commercial carriers to provide driver experience records for Class 1 truckers when they move to another job. This means a trucker’s record follows them wherever they drive — no more hiding behind a company name. If you wreck bridges or drive dangerously, your next employer will know. We’re cleaning up the industry and closing every loophole for bad truck drivers.

The new rule builds on Alberta’s strong record of improving highway safety and cleaning up the commercial trucking industry. Over the last year alone, Alberta’s government has shut down five fraudulent driver training schools, removed thirteen unsafe carriers, revoked twelve instructor licences, and issued over $100,000 in penalties to those who failed to meet safety standards.

We are tired of the bad actors making our roads less safe and as a result, we are also exploring changes to the Traffic Safety Act to increase fines, broaden licence suspensions and give repeat offenders harsher penalties.

But keeping our roads safe isn’t just about stronger penalties, it’s also about smarter infrastructure. Alberta’s roads need to keep pace with the province’s growth and how modern vehicles perform. In just the last six years, Alberta has seen over 400,000 new drivers added to our roads.

That is why we’re investing $1.5 billion this year alone for better-designed highways, additional lanes, safer interchanges, and upgraded corridors for today’s traffic and tomorrow’s economy. By improving the roads themselves, we are making it easier for responsible drivers to travel safely and efficiently, while giving law enforcement the tools to focus on the reckless few who put everyone else at risk.

I am committed to giving Alberta’s good drivers the roads they deserve that reflect the realities of today. As a result, through our online public survey (running until December 12^th), we’re asking Albertans: do you support raising the speed limit on rural divided highways that meet modern standards? If the answer from Albertans is yes, we’ll ensure any increase is built on data-driven decisions.

Other regions aren’t afraid to trust drivers. Just across the southern border, Montana has parts of the interstate that allows speeds up to 85 miles per hour (137km/h). Across Europe, divided highways offer variable speed limits that safely handle 120 km/h. Alberta’s roads are built to the same standards, which means they too can safely accommodate higher speed limits.

At the end of the day, our roads are more than pavement and paint. They are the arteries of our economy and the paths to our freedom. Whether you’re hauling a load through the Rockies or heading home from work, you deserve roads that are safe and efficient. With smarter laws and stronger enforcement, Alberta is paving the way for a better driving experience. The open road has always been part of who we are, and it always will be.