‘Slow down’: Speed a major factor in most Edmonton fatal crashes, officials say

The intersection of Ellerslie Road and Rabbit Hill Road looking northeast on Sept. 15, 2025.

As we head into the busy driving season, officials are asking drivers to slow down.

In 2025 there were 32 fatal collisions in Edmonton, nearly half of which involved excessive speed, said police. The number of crashes last year is the most the city has seen in a decade.

So far this year, there have been five fatal crashes, two involving excessive speed.

“I would urge drivers to slow down and be more aware of their responsibility to others in terms of safe operation of vehicles,” said Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette in a statement.

The city has submitted eight speed-on-green business cases to the Alberta government after it nixed photo radar across the province in April 2025.

“The provincial government’s removal of automated enforcement has created roadway anarchy across Alberta,” said Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz. “Much higher speeds, more dangerous and distracted driving, and frightening instances of road violence have claimed more lives, increased serious injuries, and spiked our insurance premiums.”

Alberta’s transportation spokesperson Husam Khalo said the ministry is aware of 18 applications from municipalities across the province.

“Applications are reviewed as soon as possible,” said Khalo. “Additional information may be requested, and review times can vary depending on the details provided and the complexity of each submission.”

Locations looking to get photo radar back were prioritized by the city based on high collision frequency and severity, said Jessica Lamarre, Edmonton’s director of safe mobility.

“Recent trends indicate that speeding remains a significant and growing concern in Edmonton,” said Lamarre.

Edmonton speeding data

A study done by the University of Alberta found there was a measurable drop in vehicles travelling over the speed limit at photo radar sites from 2023 to 2024. Vehicles travelling over the speed limit then rose 18 per cent in 2025.

The study also found that drivers going 30 km/h over the speed limit has increased by 128 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024.

“Increased speeding is a citywide trend, with increases captured at 82 per cent of the city’s monitored intersections,” said Lamarre.

While the province has limited enforcement to red lights, Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford said the city is looking at where new red-light technology could be most impactful to address safety gaps.

“With over 3,600 red-light-related crashes recorded in recent years, these tools remain a vital part of our Vision Zero strategy and the ability to alter behaviour around unsafe driving,” said Rutherford.

Updates to Vision Zero and the plan for the city’s 2027-2030 Safe Mobility Strategy will come before the urban planning committee on June 9.

Edmonton police are encouraging drivers to:

• follow the posted speed limits and adjust speed for traffic and weather conditions;
• allow for extra time to reach your destination;
• remain alert for increased pedestrian, cyclist, and construction activity during warmer months; and
• remember that arriving safely is always more important than arriving quickly.

“As road conditions improve heading into the summer months, we want to remind drivers that higher speeds significantly increase stopping distances and the risk of serious injury or death,” said a statement from police.

“The message is simple: slow down.”