Drivers: Your vehicle is not a babysitter.

If you come across an unattended child or animal in a car on a hot day, call 911 first. Check to see if the child or animal is showing signs of overheating. This can include fast, noisy breathing, disorientation, collapse, vomiting or lack of responsiveness. Next, check the vehicle doors – if they are unlocked, remove the child or animal. If they are locked, you may break the glass to remove the child or animal. If the owner returns, advise them that the police are on their way and do not confront the individual.

If you decide to break the window, be safe. Watch out for broken glass and aggressive animals. The entire situation, including your own personal safety, must be considered when taking this action.

IMPORTANT: Before the police, fire, or a private citizen can lawfully break a third party's window to retrieve an animal or child, there must be indicators that the child or animal within the vehicle is actually in heat or cold-induced distress. 

You may see Edmonton Police Service's Canine vehicles running with a PSD still in the vehicle. EPS' Canine Unit vehicles are specially equipped with a number of 'cool' tools and safe guards to keep our four-legged protectors safe during their hot summer work days. A standard vehicle is not equipped like our Canine vehicles, so please remember when you're heading out in the heat, never leave a child or pet in a vehicle.

The Alberta Traffic Safety Act section 76 determines a vehicle is abandoned if it has not been moved for over 72 consecutive hours. If you believe a vehicle is abandoned, please report it to the City of Edmonton by calling 311 or by submitting the concern through their mobile app.

An emergency vehicle's top priority is saving lives and traffic is the biggest obstacle when responding to an emergency.

Some drivers freeze or forget what to do when they see an emergency vehicle coming up behind them in traffic so we want to help ease the pressure from drivers in this situation.

When you see an activated emergency vehicle: Look. Move. Stop.

• Look in your rear view mirror to see what vehicle is approaching you from behind.
• Signal and Move to the right to make room for the emergency vehicle to pass.
• Stop and make sure all emergency vehicles have passed. Signal and merge back into traffic when it is safe to do so.

If an emergency vehicle is pulled over on the road or on the side of the road, vehicles in the adjacent lane legally must slow to 60 km/h or maintain the speed limit if it is less than 60km/h. There must be a full lane in between you and the emergency vehicle to maintain the regular speed limit. Although tow trucks are not classified as emergency vehicles, Alberta’s traffic laws require motorists to slow down to 60 km/h when passing activated emergency vehicles and tow trucks working on the side of the road.

The Alberta Traffic Safety Act's Vehicle Equipment Regulation states the legislation regarding seat belts in motor vehicles.

A person shall not drive or operate a motor vehicle in which a child who weighs 18 kilograms or less is a passenger unless

(a) the motor vehicle is equipped with a child restraint system,

(b) the child restraint system is properly installed, and

(c) the child is properly secured in the child restraint system.

If a motor vehicle is being driven and it has a seat belt assembly:

(a) in the driver’s seat position, the driver shall wear the complete seat belt assembly, and

(b) in the passenger seat position, the passenger shall wear the complete seat belt assembly.

A person shall not drive or operate a motor vehicle that has a seat belt assembly in the passenger seat position unless the passenger in the seat is wearing the complete seat belt assembly if the passenger:

(a) is 6 years old or older but under the age of 16 years, or

(b) is a child who weighs more than 18 kilograms.

There are exemptions to the seat belt regulations:

(a) motor vehicles that were not designed or equipped with seat belt assemblies by their manufacturers;

(b) motor vehicles while they are driven in reverse;

(c) motor vehicles when they are used in the course of making deliveries or picking up items, while they are driven at a speed of not more than 40 kilometres per hour;

(d) motor vehicles while they are driven in a parade authorized by a municipality.

All traffic in the right lane of a traffic circle must yield to all traffic in the left lane of the traffic circle.

Unless otherwise signed, traffic in either lane can leave the traffic circle at any exit as long as the vehicles in the right yield to those in the left.

It is not illegal to change lanes in a traffic circle, as long as it can be in safety.

It is extremely important that all drivers signal their intentions when leaving or continuing around the traffic circle.

Buses do not have the right of way over other vehicles unless they are in the left lane, then they are treated as any other vehicle in the left lane, where traffic in the right lane must yield.

U-turns cannot be legally made:

• on a roadway between intersections,
• at an alley intersection, or
• at an intersection where one or more of the highways is an access to a public or private facility to which the public normally has access;
• at a place where a sign prohibits making a U-turn, or
• at an intersection controlled by a traffic control signal unless specifically permitted by a traffic control device.