With the State of Local Emergency and grass fire season here, Westlock County has its hands full.
However, the municipality is also having a problem with a few residents who are ignoring road closures and even damaging, or removing barriers.
Chief administrative officer Leo Ludwig said people who ignore posted closings are taking a major risk and is asking drivers to respect them.
“Unfortunately there are a few folks that feel that barricades don’t apply to them and they’re moving them, or they’re running them over, or they’re even moving them and not putting them back and that’s not only unsafe for them, but unsafe for the next person down the road,” he said.
“It’s very irresponsible of people to do these kinds of things. Someone could be hurting their neighbour, or family member that comes down the road unsuspecting now because someone moved a barrier out of the way and someone else could get seriously hurt, or killed because of such foolish actions.
“It’s very maddening.”
Within three days of road closures, the county has recorded several incidents of drivers removing or damaging road barriers and using closed roads.
“(There’s been) well over a half-a-dozen incidents already of people ignoring barricades, moving them, even driving over them,” he said.
“There was an incident April 25 where from the tracks it’s clear a tractor drove over a barricade, then over a bridge and did further damage to the bridge. It defies logic why someone would think this would be an OK thing to do.”
Since the time it takes to move or damage a barrier is so fast, it’s next to impossible to enforce. Instead, the county has to rely on the honour system that people will respect closed roads.
“It’s not just a random decision, there’s a reason and rationale,” said reeve Lou Hall. “We’re not just doing it so you can drive 10 miles out of the way, there’s a safety issue. People need to understand that. It’s there for a reason.”
Ludwig noted that there was little the county could do to force people to respect the road closures, but he was baffled that someone would remove a barrier and not put it back.
He added the county was not liable to any damage or injury that results from residents ignoring road closures.
“I’m pretty sure your insurance company would say that’s not an insurable incident. If someone ignores a clear sign saying the road or bridge is closed then they do so at their own peril,” he said.
“I’m not sure a judge would have a whole pile of empathy for someone who did that either.”
Hall said the county would rather not have to deal with the added stress of preventable injuries or damages caused by drivers who think they know better than the people monitoring the situation.
“We’ve done our due diligence in making sure that roads that are unsafe are protected and people are protected from going over them,” said Hall. “But we can’t stop people from doing what they do.”
Ludwig was more blunt.
“We can’t protect people from their own stupidity.”
