Watch above: Most people behind the wheel have stories of aggressive lane changers, and lack of courtesy. Kendra Slugoski has this special report on Edmonton drivers.
EDMONTON – Edmonton motorists love to complain about bad drivers. And you don’t have to go far to find evidence of just how bad they can get.
Aside from the #yegtraffic Twitter feed, which is filled with people venting their frustrations, there are also online pages and video channels dedicated to exposing aggressive and distracted motorists.
“Oil City Drivers” on YouTube has 11 dashcam episodes so far, showcasing some of the worst offenders.
The man behind “ChuckHs EdmontonDrivers,” another YouTube channel, posts weekly videos taken from a front and back-facing dashcam on his vehicle. Chuck and his passenger provide colourful commentary and text for viewers in the videos.
While it started out as entertainment, Chuck says the cameras are also a form of protection following a scary incident he had a few years ago.
“Had a guy tailgating me. Traffic was going slow, he didn’t like that. He got out of his car, opened his door and tried to pull me out.”
Global News saw some of Edmonton’s bad drivers firsthand during a ride-along with Cst. Scott Nolt of the STAT team, which monitors the behaviour of drivers to try and track down criminals.
“Typically we find that criminals are bad drivers, and are also suspended drivers or don’t have the required administrative documents to be driving.”
But it’s obviously not just criminals who are bad drivers.
“Edmonton drivers, in my opinion, are aggressive drivers,” Nolt says.
“There’s a lack of common sense and courtesy.”
READ MORE: Twitter account exposing bad Edmonton parkers
Distracted driving numbers in Edmonton have been steadily increasing over the last several years, according to statistics provided by the Edmonton Police Service. Across the province, 358 people were killed on Alberta roads last year — that’s nearly one person a day. There were also 51 people injured each day.
Here’s a closer look at some of the statistics:
With files from Kendra Slugoski, Global News
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