‘People’s lives are at stake’: Alberta sees highest number of collisions in July

It’s common for Kaela Corraza to see people doing a rolling stop at the intersection on Howe and Brown roads outside her house near Lethbridge.

“We do yard work every single day and we are just waiting for an awful, awful crash,” she said.

Tragically, that became reality Wednesday afternoon.

Coaldale RCMP said a car failing to stop at the crossing cost a four-year-old boy his life.

READ MORE: Boy, 4, killed in crash east of Lethbridge 

Alberta Transportation statistics show in 2014 the highest number of collisions happened in July. Casualty rates are highest for people between the ages of 15 and 24, and Friday is the most collision-prone day of the week.

“I think when you talk about winter driving – there is ice on the road and you have to slow down… But in the summer months, you have to remember there are more vehicles on the road, generally speaking. We have slower moving vehicles, trailers, people pulling boats, things people operate – recreational vehicles – that they don’t operate full time,” Henry said.

Wednesday’s fatal collision was the second in the Lethbridge area in just three days. On Monday, a 17-year-old girl also died from a crash in west Lethbridge.

READ MORE: Teen girl killed in Lethbridge crash 

AMA says some of the more common causes of summer crashes are driving too fast, following too closely and making bad lane changes and left-hand turns. Those problems can be amplified in rural areas.

“Generally speaking, we have a fair number of collisions in this area. we have some major highways and we have some rural roads with the high speeds,” Staff Sgt. Henry said.

He is hoping people will learn from these tragedies and pay more attention to the road.

“If you’re in such a rush make time… leave a little earlier, because people’s lives are at stake,” Corraza said. “That little boy doesn’t get to experience life now.”

Both collisions remain under investigation.