The Delta Police Department will focus on high-collision areas with enforcement as well as other strategies in an attempt to bring down the number of traffic collisions in the city.
That’s what Deputy Chief Harj Sidhu told the Delta Police Board at its Jan. 18 meeting during discussion on the department’s year-end statistics for 2022, indicating the number of collisions has once again gone up.
According to the DPD, there were 1,376 traffic collisions for the year, up from 1,226 in 2021. The DPD’s statistics for 2020 reported 942 collisions.
Last year also saw three pedestrian fatalities and one involving a cyclist.
Sidhu told the board that the DPD’s traffic strategy is data-driven and will concentrate not only on high-collision areas, but also working closely with the city’s engineering department, as well as participate in the city’s formulation of a Vision Zero Strategy.
The city with the help of a consulting firm will be conducting community engagement this year to obtain feedback to help develop the strategy.
Vision Zero is a multi-national road traffic safety project that aims to achieve a road system with no fatalities or serious injuries.
One of the key differences between Vision Zero and traditional approaches to road safety is that traffic collisions are considered preventable, viewing safety as a shared responsibility between system designers, policy makers and road users.
According to the city, the strategy should focus on addressing safety for vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
The consultant for Delta’s Vision Zero plan is to come up with a strategic document, which is to outline key performance indicators and set interim targets, as well as determine priorities for road safety interventions to guide investments.
The consultant is to also come up with cost estimates for each type of countermeasure identified in a crash analysis report.
Delta has also been working with the City of Surrey on traffic safety concerns on the Scott Road corridor.
An engineering consultant last year released a report on the corridor, noting both cities recognize the roadway is a high-priority for safety improvements.
