By Liam Verster

Road Trip Preperations

Drivers advised to be vigilant during August Long Weekend road trips

Jul 30, 2021 | 12:16 PM

With people hitting the road for long weekend trips, the Coalition of Safer Alberta Roads is urging people to be cautious and vigilant behind the wheel.

Executive Director Debbie Hammond, says people will be out over the weekend going to the lakes, rivers, parks and camping, which when coupled with the regular commuters, trucks, and farm equipment travelling Alberta’s roads, will mean excessive traffic on the blacktop.

Hammond says while it’s always important to be vigilant when driving, it’s especially crucial now, as people are trying to get out and take advantage of the nice weather following the COVID-19 restrictions being lifted.

“Right now is the perfect time to remind [drivers], because we have been in lockdown and haven’t really had the chance to get out and be with their friends and family, so people may have turned their brains off,” says Hammond.

“So it’s really important when you’re planning those road trips for the summer to remember that there are a lot of people doing the same thing that you’re doing, probably hauling a trailer or just on your way to have fun, and de-pandemic yourself and take some time with friends and family. So take your time getting there, because getting there is the most important part.”

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

She advises people to allow for extra travel time, especially when going to parks, lakes, or other places where people will flock over the long weekend.

Hammond also says summertime, and the August long weekend in particular, is the worst time for fatal vehicle collisions.

The most recent data from Alberta Transportation shows that between August 3rd and 6th of 2018, there were 1,037 collisions, resulting in 160 injuries and nine fatalities. The only other holiday weekend with even close to those figures was the Christmas Season from December 21-26, when there were 1,905 collisions resulting in 251 injuries and 10 deaths. All of the other holidays that year had collisions that resulted in injuries, but at most caused just four deaths.

Alberta Transportation’s figures also show there were 27 fatal collisions in August of 2018, tied for the most in a month with June and October.

Hammond says people often think it’s winter when the roads are bad and fatal collisions occur, the data shows there is a false sense of security with summer driving.

“We let our guard down, that’s part of it, we just go ‘Oh yeah there’s no ice, it’s not winter, I’m safe.” But it can be really disastrous if we’re not maintaining that attitude that ‘I want to protect myself and those around me on the highway, so I’m going to make good choices and I’ll be sober and I won’t be distracted and I will have a co-pilot if I need somebody to help with directions,’ like all those things to remember when you hit the road in the summer because everyone else is doing it, especially this year.”

While enforcing the message of being vigilant and responsible, Hammond also encourages people to have an emergency summer kit in their vehicle in case something does happen.

“For an emergency kit in the summer, I always carry a blanket, an emergency blanket or two, so if I did break down in the nighttime I could stay warm. I have granola bars and I have a couple of bottles of water. I have a candle and I have matches. I also have a lighter. I have flares so if I break down on the side of the highway I can light those flares. I have those little reflective triangles that I can put around my vehicle to let motorists know I’m on the highway, and I have a flashlight.”

Hammond adds it’s important to have the vehicle road-worthy, with brakes in good condition and all the fluids topped up, before going on a road trip as well.

She also asks people to make sure items in the vehicle are securely stored so they can’t become a potentially deadly projectile in the case of a crash.

Alberta Transportation has compiled two vehicle emergency kit checklists, a condensed one and a comprehensive one, and Hammond suggests people follow those guides and assemble a kit of their own in case of an emergency.