SGI turns traffic safety spotlight onto intersections and railway crossings

Weyburn city council has approved the drafting of a bylaw prohibiting large trucks from using the Queen Street rail crossing, where two collisions involving semi-trailers have occurred in recent months.

REGINA — SGI is starting off the new year reminding drivers to pay extra attention when they pass through intersections and encounter railway crossings.

According to the government insurer, intersections make up a fraction of total road kilometres in the province, however nearly half of all collisions occur in intersections.

On average, 2,503 people are injured and 31 people are killed in Saskatchewan intersections each year.

SGI said there are some things drivers can do to protect themselves and others when travelling though intersections. Tips include signalling, driving in the correct lane, ensuring the road has your full attention and giving other drivers room in the intersection.

SGI is also drawing attention to a specific type of intersection motorists often encounter in Saskatchewan: Railway crossings.

The crown corporation said collisions between trains and vehicles result in an average of 16 collisions, nine injuries, and two deaths each year in the province. SGI advised drivers to always be alert and prepared to stop – especially at uncontrolled crossings, never try to beat a train through a crossing and never stop on the tracks.