The summer season has hardly begun and already Jasper’s roads have claimed a life.
The collision, between a motorcycle and a truck, took place on Miette Road, June 22, and resulted in the tragic death of a 28-year-old motorcyclist.
This isn’t an uncommon occurrence in the park. Every year, without fail, our first responders are dispatched to fatal collisions on Jasper’s highways and roads. It happens year round, but the frequency of collisions seems to increase during the summer months, somedays with our emergency crews responding to numerous accidents in a day.
That was the case on June 22. In the span of 12 hours, there were three collisions: one on the west highway, another on the east, as well as the fatal accident on Miette Road.
According to Jasper’s fire chief, the community’s first responders have a few days like that every year.
That fact is disconcerting.
Although not all accidents can be avoided, there must be a way to reduce the number of collisions and fatalities that happen in the park each year.
Perhaps the first step is remembering we’re not invincible and acknowledging that every driver on the road has the power to not only hurt themselves, but the people in their own vehicle, as well as others on the road. All it takes is one wrong move—a lingering glance at a roadside bear or an extra push on the gas pedal.
During our peak summer season, Jasper’s highways and winding mountain roads are especially busy, with a high volume of visitors cruising into the park each day.
This summer has already gotten off on the wrong foot.
Let’s change that. This summer, let’s all do our part to keep our roads safe for our visitors and our residents, by being diligent behind the wheel. Turn your cellphone off, be mindful of your speed and keep your eyes on the road.
Let’s make this the year our first responders can enjoy our beautiful park just as much as our visitors, without the sound of the town alarm calling them to action.
