RCMP are urging Alberta drivers to be extra careful behind the wheel on wintery roads after a sharp increase in fatal collisions during December and early January.
Winter weather and the recent snowfalls may have contributed to a significant portion of these crashes, Mounties said.
On Monday, police said their preliminary data shows 20 fatal collisions occurred across K Division (all of Alberta) in December 2025 — above the 10-year average of 16.7.
RCMP said injury collisions also appear to be up and the trend has continued into the new year.
Four fatal collisions in Alberta, resulting in four deaths, were reported in the first four days of January.
Weather is believed to be a factor in three of the crashes this month, though RCMP said the investigations remain ongoing.
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The most recent fatal crash on rural Alberta roads claimed the life of a Ponoka County resident over the weekend.
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RCMP south of Edmonton responded to that crash just after 7 p.m. Sunday.
The head-on collision happened on Highway 53, about six kilometres west of the QEII near Range Road 270.
Police said emergency responders arrived to find that the driver of one of the vehicles, a Toyota Echo, had died on scene. They were a 59-year-old person who lived in Ponoka County.
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The driver of the other vehicle, a Volkswagen Jetta, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
It’s been a snowy few weeks across much of central Alberta, punctuated by periods of freezing rain and drizzle, which has led to treacherous conditions both in the Edmonton region and the surrounding rural roads.
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Police are reminding drivers to slow down, allow extra time for travel and adjust driving habits to winter conditions.
Waiting for better road conditions is always an option as well, RCMP pointed out.
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