With autumn in full swing, colder weather and darker skies can result in less-than-optimal road conditions. The City of Courtenay is reminding commuters to stay alert and travel defensively to keep themselves and others safe. A new Traffic Safety page on the City website provides access to resources from ICBC, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI), and the Province of BC in one convenient location.

Lesley Hatch, the City’s senior manager of engineering, said the traffic safety reminder is geared at all commuters, including drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. “According to ICBC, there were 1,900 crashes in Courtenay in 2012 alone, with 580 injuries,” said Hatch. “Fortunately the overall accident rate has been declining for the past several years, and education is an important part of that trend.”

To help promote traffic safety, the City will also publish weekly ICBC safety tips on their website for the next four weeks, and posters will be installed in various municipal buildings.

The Traffic Safety page includes information on various City safety improvement projects constructed in recent years, including intersection improvements, road widening, and new traffic and pedestrian signals.

“A number of City road work projects have been designed to improve safety, such as the traffic signals at Lerwick Road and Malahat Drive, and the pedestrian-activated flashing crosswalk beacons installed in various locations in Courtenay,” advised Hatch.

In Courtenay, seeking road safety solutions has involved a coordinated approach. Regular traffic meetings with MOTI and the RCMP, and support from ICBC, provide opportunities to discuss general safety issues, as well as specific concerns about speeding, signage and lighting.

“It’s important that we share information so we can determine where to apply our resources most effectively,” noted Hatch. “These meetings allow us to identify problems and seek solutions, whether that’s through education, enforcement, or by updating physical infrastructure.”

Hatch also noted that while improvements are ongoing, they can’t solve traffic safety issues entirely. “While we do our best to complete as many road improvement projects as our resources and budget will allow, commuters also need to make safety a priority. The information on our website can assist commuters in getting the information they need to arrive safely at their destination.”

For more information, visit www.courtenay.ca