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TuesdayDecember2201419TRANSPORTATIONSAFETYOnlinemapshowsshockingnumberoffatalitiesonnorthernAlbertaroadwaysByMEAGANWOHLBERGItsbeen36kmandalreadyninepeoplehavediedenroutetoyourdestination.ThatsthesoberingrealizationmadewhiletakingavirtualdrivedownnorthernAlber-tasHighway63onlineusinganewinterac-tivemapwheretheclickofamousetakesyoupaststatisticaftertragicstatisticoftheinfamousroadwaysfatalaccidentsoverthelastdecade.ThenewfatalitiesmapcompiledbytheCoalitionforaSaferHighway63and881allowsonlineuserstomakethejourneyupanddownthetreacherouslinksbetweenFortMcMurraysoilsandsandtheregionnorthofEdmontonsafefromtheirownhomes.Butwhiletheymaybeprotectedfromthephysicalhazardsofrecklessdriverspoorvisibilityicyconditionsandwildlifethereisnothingtoshieldmap-usersfrombeingconfrontedwithpop-upsoftragicheadlinesmarkingthereal-lifedeadlyac-cidentsthathaveoccurredateachpointalongthehighway.Iwasshockedcoalitionexecutivedi-rectorDebbieHammondsaidofherfirstexperienceusingthemapwhichshowsover140peoplehavediedonHighways63and881between2003and2014.Iwasshockedathowmanypeoplehavediedonjustthosetwohighwaysandwhatsre-allysosadinmostofthecasesisthatitwasavoidable.Apartfromsoberingstatisticsonlinemap-usersarechallengedwithdistractions-atextmessageonacellphonedebrisintheroadanddeercrossingthehighway-accom-paniedbytipsforsafedrivingalongwithbillboardsinvitinguserstotakethepledgetobeasaferdriver.Hammondsaidthemapisnotmeanttopointngersbuttobringtolightwhatarelargelyavoidabletragedieswhilestartingaconversationaroundcreatingacultureofsafermoreresponsibledrivingontwobusyroadswhererecklessandaggressivedrivingpracticesarecommon.Whatwerehopingthiswilldoisgetdriverstobecomemoreawareoftheirowndrivingandbepreparedforthehaz-ardsthatlayaheadespeciallyinwinter.Bybeingpreparedandbeingaccountableforyourownactionsandbymakingsafechoicesbehindthewheelyoureallyin-creaseyourchancesofgettingtowhereyouregoingsafelyalongwitheveryoneelseonthehighwayshesaid.Thatsthegoalzerofatalities.Asaroad-userHammondsaidshehasex-periencedscarymomentsontheroadcausedbyaggressivedriverswhowieldtheirvehi-clesasweapons.Weneedtotreateachotherwithrespectandrecognizethatdrivingisaprivilegeandthateveryonehasarighttotravelsafelyshesaid.Thedigitalmapideaemergedoutoffocusgroupdiscussionsrunbythecoalitionwhereinparticipantsreactedmoststronglytoavisualmapofaccidentsalongbothhigh-ways.Thecoalitionalongwithitspartneragenciesingovernmentandlawenforce-mentdecidedtomakeadigitalversionusingtheresourcesofGooglemapsandpublicdatabasestocreateapowerfulinteractiveexperiencethatensuredtheconversationwouldcontinue.Becausesomestatisticswerenotavailableonthepublicdomainoutofrespectforvic-timsfamiliesHammondsaidthemapshouldnotbeconsideredanofcialdatabasebutoffersafairlycomprehensiverecordoflivesclaimedbythehighways.Themapisjustonepieceofalargerawareness-raisingcampaignbythecoali-tionwhichsawrealHighway63carwrecksplacedaroundFortMcMurraylastSeptem-bertogetpeopletalkingaboutroadsafetyandsignthepledge.SincethenHammondsaidbehaviouralchangescanalreadybenoticedamongdriv-erswhoarespendingmoretimeonsocialmediatondoutandspreadinformationonthingslikeroadconditions.Itsthatkindofsobersecondthinkingshesaidthatwillhelppreventfurtheraccidentsfromoccurring.Havingadditionaltoolslikethemapwillalsobehelpfulforrst-timedriversonHighways63and881.EachdriverhastotakeaccountabilityandifwealldothatjustthatonelittlepiecewillmakeourhighwaysmuchsaferHammondsaid.Ialwayssayitsnotthehighwaysthataredeadlyitsthechoicesthatwemake.Toexperiencethefatalitymaponlinevisithttpwww.fatalities.safer63and881.comPop-upalertsshowthenumberofrealhistoricaccidentsthathavetakenplaceonasmallsectionofHighway63overthelastseveralyearsonthenewonlinefatalitymap.PhotoCoalitionforaSafer63and881