After a March blizzard caused over 100 traffic collisions in Calgary, Calgary police continue to push awareness through the Drive to Zero campaign.
The campaign launched its final video on March 26, with the city commemorating the event on the corner of Macleod Trail and 1 Street SW. In attendance was Chelsea Meza, whose husband, Corey, was killed while cycling in June of 2020.
That day changed her entire life.
“That was the beginning of the worst chapter of my life,” Chelsea says. “I suddenly went from being a happily married twenty-something, planning to buy a house, to a grieving widow, planning a funeral.”
Meza is just one story of the ripple effect of distracted driving. This year, there have been 5,164 traffic collisions in the city, with eight people killed, including three pedestrians. According to police, 2026 is on track to be another record year for traffic fatalities.
Staff Sgt. Andy Woodward of the CPS Traffic Unit is urging Calgarians to be more aware while driving and to think of others.
“These deaths were preventable,” he said.
“We are urging drivers to obey all traffic signs and signals and stay focused on their surroundings while on the road.”
City of Calgary Mobility Director Troy McLeod echoed that sentiment and focused on a collective approach.
“The Calgary Safer Mobility Plan reminds us that safety is a shared responsibility —drivers and pedestrians must stay alert and look out for each other,” he said.
“Together, let’s prevent distractions and make our streets safer for everyone.”
More information on the campaign and Vision Zero can be found here.
More needs to be done
While the Drive to Zero campaign has heightened awareness surrounding road safety, Sgt. Woodward acknowledged there’s still work to be done.
“Currently, we’re trending in the wrong direction,” he said.
Ward 7 Coun. Myke Atkinson said it isn’t an issue of awareness, instead pointing to the need to invest more in fixing this issue.
“I don’t think there’s actually anyone in Calgary, pedestrians, drivers, that doesn’t want to tackle this issue,” he said.
“We just need to double our efforts again to make sure we start tackling those numbers.”
Mayor Jeromy Farkas said that there needs to be a collaborative approach between municipal and provincial governments to properly address this issue. He spoke of the city’s investment in Vision Zero and how they’re investing more than ever in traffic safety, but that their budget constraints limit their abilities.
Mayor Farkas said they’re looking to restore the photo radar program to use that revenue to fund further improvements such as improved crosswalks and engineering improvements.
But nothing can be done without the province’s assistance.
“As a municipality, there’s a lot that we can do in collaboration with our police service, but that’s not enough,” Farkas said.
“We certainly are calling on the province to partner with us to be able to address the root causes as well. “
