REGINA, Sask. — Ten collisions involving vehicles and pedestrians, cyclists or e-bike riders in just 10 days have prompted a renewed road safety warning from Regina police after multiple people were injured and one person was killed.
The latest incidents include a six-year-old girl struck while crossing at Pasqua Street and Parliament Avenue on Sunday and an adult woman hit by a vehicle Monday morning near Sandringham Road and Cumberland Road. Both were taken to hospital with injuries police described as serious but not life-threatening.
The recent string follows a fatal collision involving a 34-year-old man riding an e-bike on Sept. 19. Police say the e-bike collided with a vehicle that was turning into a parking lot in the 400 block of Albert Street.
Insp. Jason Gunderson of the Regina Police Service says the number of incidents over such a short period is unusual.
“It is a high number for us within a month span,” Gunderson says. “This is just odd in the terms of the number we've had.”
He says the collisions have happened throughout Regina, rather than being concentrated in one neighbourhood or on one type of roadway.
“All parts of the city have been affected by this,” Gunderson says. “There is no pattern to them. We're just seeing them all over.”
Police are investigating the individual collisions, and Gunderson says there is currently no indication that impaired driving is behind the recent increase.
“Some of these are still under investigation by our STRIDE unit,” he says. “But our initial investigation is not leading us down the road of impaired driving by either alcohol or drugs.”
Instead, police are emphasizing basic road awareness for everyone using Regina streets.
“It comes down to road safety,” Gunderson says. “Everybody needs to be aware and just take some extra time as we're driving to get places.”
For drivers, that means slowing down at intersections, checking both directions and watching for pedestrians before proceeding. Gunderson says motorists should also pay attention when another vehicle slows or stops near a crosswalk and avoid passing it because a pedestrian may be crossing.
“People also, when you're coming up to crosswalks and you see we have multiple streets in Regina that are multiple lanes, and as such, if you see another vehicle slowing down in front of you or coming to a stop usually means that there may be a pedestrian crossing the street,” Gunderson says. “We ask you not to pass them, but to also stop, make sure there's no pedestrians before you proceed.”
Police are also reminding pedestrians that road safety does not end when they step onto a crosswalk.
Gunderson says pedestrians should activate flashing crossing lights where available, look both ways and, when possible, make sure the driver sees them before entering the roadway.
“Best practice is to try to make eye contact with that driver who's driving that motor vehicle,” he says. “That way, you're ensuring you've seen them, and they've seen you as you continue across the road.”
The same caution applies to cyclists and e-scooter riders, who are required to follow the rules of the road when operating on Regina streets.
The City of Regina says e-scooters must be ridden by people at least 16 years old, helmets are mandatory and e-scooters cannot be used on sidewalks. They can operate on roads with speed limits of 50 km/h or less, designated bike lanes and multi-use pathways, with maximum speeds of 24 km/h on roads and bike lanes and 15 km/h on pathways.
Gunderson says police are particularly concerned about young people riding e-scooters without following the rules and says school resource officers are preparing to speak with students about safe riding.
He also says police have issued tickets in three of the recent collision investigations, including two drivers ticketed for failing to yield to pedestrians. The remaining investigations are ongoing.
Police say changing conditions can also affect visibility. Gunderson points to sun glare as one factor drivers should anticipate, recommending sunglasses, use of a sun visor and reduced speeds when visibility is compromised.
“It's no different than road conditions in the winter can provide,” he says. “We just ask drivers to be aware of that, but also pedestrians to be aware and people on e-scooters or cyclists be aware of the conditions.”
The Regina Police Service says its traffic safety, CTSS and patrol members will continue education and enforcement, but Gunderson stresses that enforcement alone cannot prevent every collision.
“It takes everybody to be responsible on the roadway to help reduce the numbers,” he says.
With the recent crashes occurring across the city, his message is not aimed at one particular group of road users.
“Please just slow down, be aware of your surroundings for all people involved on the roadways,” Gunderson says.
