(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By rdnewsNOW staff

PONOKA TOW BAN LIFTED

Alberta RCMP respond to multiple collisions following poor road conditions

Jan 22, 2025 | 9:52 AM

The RCMP in central Alberta were busy last night after blowing snow created unsafe driving conditions on the QEII between Red Deer and Edmonton.

Whiteout conditions were created because of severe wind, which made for poor visibility.

RCMP responded to multiple collisions and vehicle rollovers, especially after 7 p.m. when they observed a significant increase in calls for service to deal with collisions in the central Alberta area. This included areas along the QEII between Red Deer and Edmonton such as Leduc, Wetaskiwin , Camrose County, Maskwacis and Ponoka.

“We started having multiple calls of vehicles in the ditches and ultimately it led to a tow ban in the area,” said RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff. “Anytime it’s snowing outside, or you have any concerns about the weather or driving conditions, 511 is a terrific resource for people to use to have a quick scan of what road conditions are like.”

Savinkoff reported that the province saw 245 collisions altogether, with central Alberta seeing 138 of those — three to four times the amount in southern, western, or eastern Alberta. For context, he said that on a typical winter day, RCMP would see around 123 collisions across the province.

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Fortunately, of the 138 central Alberta collisions, only 11 reported injuries and there were no fatalities reported in any region of the province.

Savinkoff said conditions have improved this morning but to use caution when driving as highways are still icy.

“When you’re dealing with slippery roads is one thing, but when you combine that with very limited visibility, that’s where there’s huge issues. Let’s say there is a collision, what will happen is, you’ve got a sudden obstruction on the roadway. As people are driving with reduced visibility and they come across those obstructions, combined with poor road conditions, that’s when you get into large issues,” he added.

The tow ban that was put into effect on Tuesday night was lifted as of 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday. However, road conditions in certain areas may still be an issue.

Motorists are advised to monitor Alberta 511 for updates on highway travel conditions.