The Danielle Smith government is weighing a crackdown on bad driving in Alberta, with plans to tighten driver testing standards amid growing alarm over surging traffic collisions and road fatalities across the province.
The move comes as law enforcement officials and road safety advocates raise urgent concerns about the state of driving in Alberta — particularly in Calgary, where collision rates have been climbing at a troubling pace.
Calgary Police Service Chief Katie McLellan has been direct in her assessment of the situation, describing driving behaviour on Calgary streets as nothing short of atrocious. Her comments reflect what officers on the ground are witnessing daily: an increasing number of collisions, injuries, and deaths — including among pedestrians.
Questions About Driver Competency
Beyond reckless or aggressive driving, authorities and observers have raised a more fundamental concern: whether some licensed drivers actually understand the basic rules of the road. The question being asked in police briefings and community conversations alike is whether Alberta's current driver testing system is rigorous enough to ensure that everyone behind the wheel is truly qualified to be there.
Critics have long argued that driver testing in the province has not kept pace with the realities of modern traffic volumes, urban density, and the increasingly distracted driving environment Albertans now navigate every day.
Smith Government Moving Toward Reform
The UCP government under Premier Danielle Smith is now signalling it intends to act. While specific legislative or regulatory details have yet to be formally announced, the direction is clear: tougher standards for getting — and keeping — a driver's licence in Alberta.
Road safety advocates are cautiously welcoming the signal, though many say any reform must be accompanied by meaningful enforcement and not just higher barriers at the testing stage.
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The province has not yet set a timeline for introducing new driver testing measures, but the issue is expected to be a significant topic of public and political discussion in the months ahead.
Source: Calgary Herald. This article was rewritten and expanded by WestNet News staff based on reporting from the Calgary Herald.