Residents are fed up!

Residents are fed up!

Area residents’ express anger over several motorists and their disregard for safety. For the past month, several compact cars and light trucks have been drag racing down Mink Creek Road and 55 Avenue and back alleys almost every night. Witnesses said vehicles are seen racing side by side, heading down the street towards Ecole St. Joseph School in the evenings and late at night. A few of the cars are loud enough to wake residents and babies from their sleep.

Residents are at the breaking point because it’s still occurring, and nothing is done about it. Several complaints were made to the Whitecourt RCMP, but the response is the same each time. To start a file, witnesses must have a vehicle description, and a license plate number. One resident stated, “getting a license plate is hard to do, as, by the time you go out your door, they have passed by already.” Mink Creek Road is frequented by cyclists, families out for walks, and children playing. Many fear it’s only a matter of time before something terrible happens. When speeding vehicles are involved, they run the risk of losing control or not being able to stop in time if a child was to step out on the road.

Parents have taken to Facebook to express their outrage regarding the racing. There is a definite expression of fear when you read the Facebook comments, as one mother stated, “children can be very unpredictable and quick. It only takes a second for them to chase a ball and go off the sidewalk just as the cars go by”. Others have considered taking matters into their own hands in an attempt to stop the racing. Throwing boards and other items in front of the vehicles was a suggested idea for a way to stop it. Vigilantism is not a solution and can create more significant problems for all parties involved. Is there a solution? A few residents recommend having the RCMP stage for an evening or have photo radar in place.

Mink Creek Road has turned into a drag strip for several drivers over the past month, leaving residents angered and fearing for the safety of their children.