A proposal to raise speed limits to 120 km/h (75 mph) on some Alberta highways is drawing concern from roadbuilders, who warn the move could increase crash severity.
The Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association (ARHCA) is calling on the province to implement a comprehensive safety plan before proceeding.
“Today’s cars and trucks are capable of higher speeds, but the point is they are not on a closed track,” said ARHCA CEO Ron Glen.
The group points to Highway 2 data showing a shift toward higher-speed driving. Tickets issued in the 121 km/h to 130 km/h range fell 71% between 2023 and 2025, while tickets for speeds above 140 km/h rose 65%. The association attributes the change to rising average speeds rather than improved compliance.
Maintenance contractors report vehicles routinely exceed posted limits in work zones while passing crews and equipment.
National data links speed to crash severity. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports higher speeds increase stopping distance and crash energy, with speed-related crashes accounting for 29% of U.S. fatalities in 2023.
In Canada, 25% of fatal collisions involved speeding in 2023, according to Transport Canada data cited by the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals. Alberta RCMP reports roughly one in four fatal collisions in the province involve unsafe speeds, with most occurring in rural areas.
Higher-speed impacts are more likely to involve structural damage, airbag deployment and advanced driver assistance systems.
The ARHCA also expressed concern about the impact of higher speed limits during wintry conditions. Snowplows operate at 40 km/h to 60 km/h and must slow further to use median turnarounds. ARHCA reports an average of 38 snowplows are struck each year by vehicles failing to maintain distance or pass safely.
“The variance in speeds between commercial trucks, snowplows and maintenance vehicles and fast drivers is what creates danger," Glen added.
The association warns that without stronger enforcement, average highway speeds could rise to about 135 km/h if limits increase, widening speed differentials between passenger vehicles and slower commercial or maintenance equipment.
ARHCA is calling for infrastructure and policy changes before any increase is implemented. Recommendations include replacing at-grade intersections with overpasses on Highway 2, limiting roadside turnouts to emergency use, adding separated rest areas with proper acceleration and deceleration lanes and increasing surface maintenance, line painting and asphalt rehabilitation.
The group is also calling for enhanced enforcement in construction and maintenance zones, expanded public education on Slow Down, Move Over laws and stricter enforcement of existing traffic rules.
The Government of Alberta is driving the change through a controlled pilot, framing it as a data-driven test rather than a permanent shift. Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen has said the selected QEII corridor was chosen because of recent safety upgrades and design standards suited to higher speeds.
The province is also leaning heavily on public consultation. A government survey of roughly 50,000–59,000 respondents found about 68%–70% supported raising limits on rural divided highways.
ARHCA says highway maintenance funding has declined in real terms. The province allocated $376 million in 2010, equivalent to $545 million in 2026 dollars. The 2026–27 budget allocates $350 million -- a 35% decrease when adjusted for inflation.
The potential impact on collision repair businesses is unclear. Insurance data from the Highway Loss Data Institute—a U.S.-based research arm funded by auto insurers and affiliated with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety—provides a useful lens on how speed affects repair outcomes.
HLDI aggregates real-world claims data from insurers across millions of vehicles, tracking both claim frequency and claim severity, defined as the average payout per claim. Across collision coverage, its findings consistently show that rising loss costs are driven more by increases in severity than by the number of crashes alone. What is certain is that vehicles are more likely to be written off the faster they had been traveling at the time of impact.
