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Unsafe trailer parking an issue in the county

Summer means an increase of trailers on the road, as recreational campers are towed alongside the usual agricultural and commercial vehicles.
Safely Parked
Rocky View County wants to remind residents to make sure trailers are safely parked throughout the summer. According to County Enforcement Services, illegal or improper trailer parking is an issue around the county, especially in hamlets, and can lead to safety hazards.

Summer means an increase of trailers on the road, as recreational campers are towed alongside the usual agricultural and commercial vehicles. With more trailers, however, motorists and residents might also see increased instances of illegal, improper or unsafe parking.

According to Lorraine Wesley-Riley, manager of Enforcement Services, incorrectly parked recreational and commercial trailers are a frequent concern – particularly in Rocky View County’s (RVC) hamlets, she said, which are more densely populated and generally have more intersections, traffic control signs and other areas where trailer parking can cause problems.

“It’s an important issue, because we want to avoid any potential safety hazards that can arise with people parking trailers,” she said.

According to Wesley-Riley, trailers should not be parked on sidewalks, the sides of highways, in intersections or within five metres of a crosswalk, corner, road sign or fire hydrant. Improper trailing parking, she added, can inhibit the flow of traffic, obscure visibility and pose a risk to both motorists and anyone exiting the trailer.

Peace officers are precise when measuring for parking infractions, she said, and use a tape measure to be exact. According to RVC’s website, drivers parking near crosswalks, corners or fire hydrants can think of five metres as approximately five large adult male steps, five guitar lengths or the length of three average adults lying head to toe, while estimating how close they can park.

Wesley-Riley said County peace officers will respond to all complaints about illegally parked trailers, with the goal of gaining voluntary compliance.

“We will go out or phone the individual that owns the trailer,” she said. “We will ask them to move the trailer to a safer location. If the trailer’s moved, the complaint is done, and we close the file.”

If the owner doesn’t comply, however, an officer can issue a ticket and have the trailer towed. The County tracks all incidents and makes note of repeat offenders. Repeat offenders, Wesley-Riley said, could see timelines shortened, and officers may resort directly to tickets or towing.

“Fortunately, we haven’t had that arise as of yet,” she said.

The County relies on residents to alert Enforcement Services when someone is improperly parking a trailer. Residents who see a trailer parked unsafely may call 403-230-1401, and an officer will be assigned to investigate. Wesley-Riley added taking a photograph of the situation or noting a license plate number will help the officer investigate the complaint.

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