Drop in Edmonton traffic injuries a sign of 'forward progress'

16-per-cent decrease in one year is 'good news,'AMA says

Edmonton had the fewest traffic injuries last year since current records started almost two decades ago, an improvement spurred by a 16-per-cent drop in injuries over a single year.

"It certainly is forward progress. Now, we want to ensure it's not a one-year blip," traffic safety analyst Chris Neuman said on Friday.

"It was a great feeling to see those numbers go down."

There were 6,270 people hurt on Edmonton streets in 2008, compared to 7,445 victims the previous year, says the city's annual motor vehicle collisions report.

That's down from 6,500 road injuries in 1992, even though the local population has grown by almost 20 per cent since then.

The number of injury accidents has grown slight during this time, while the total number of collisions has gone up more than 50 per cent.

The city's office of traffic safety is still analyzing the data to determine why fewer motorists are being injured, Neuman said.

One factor is that fewer people are being banged around in smash-ups that happen during left turns at intersections, he said.

This change could be the result of a growing number of left-turn signals, installed at two locations in 2007, one site in 2008 and with at least two planned this year, targeting spots with the worst left-turn collision records, Neuman said.

"You have to wait for your own separate light ... the traffic you have to avoid, that is oncoming, is stopped."

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