Community leaders and local police have placed a two-dimensional Royal Canadian Mounted Police cruiser cut-out on the side of the South Klondike Highway north of Carcross in an effort to slow motorists where the highway speed limit drops from 90 km/h to 50 km/h.
Local idea, immediate installation
The cut-out, installed last month, is the product of a joint initiative between the Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN) and Yukon RCMP. The concept emerged during regular meetings of the C/TFN executive council in conversations with Carcross RCMP officers, who were responding to long-standing concerns about motorists travelling at unsafe speeds through a stretch of road used by families and school-age children.
“We know that Teslin had one at one time and it slowed a number of vehicles down. We wanted the same thing to happen here,” said Darla-Jean Lindstrom, deputy chief of Carcross/Tagish First Nation, describing the motivation behind the placement.
“I turned right and then, whoa, there was a police-looking object,” said Tagish resident Nancy Bliss after driving past the cut-out and posting a photograph on social media.
Visible, low-cost deterrent
The cut-out is designed to look like an RCMP patrol vehicle from a distance, creating a visual deterrent that can prompt drivers to reduce speed. It has already generated attention online after residents shared photos and video clips on social platforms.
Local supporters say the device is a practical, low-cost measure to improve safety quickly while longer-term engineering or enforcement solutions are considered. Officials emphasise the installation is intended as a complement to other road-safety measures rather than a replacement for active enforcement.
- Location: South Klondike Highway, north of Carcross
- Installed: Last month (month not specified)
- Partners: Carcross/Tagish First Nation and Yukon RCMP
- Purpose: Deter speeding where speed limit reduces from 90 km/h to 50 km/h
Community reaction and context
Tagish resident Nancy Bliss shared a photo of the cut-out after encountering it unexpectedly. Social-media posts about the decoy have attracted attention beyond the community, reflecting broader public interest in simple interventions that can improve safety in rural and northern road environments.
Carcross/Tagish leaders framed the move as a community-led safety initiative, drawing on local knowledge of where motorists are most likely to fail to adjust speed. The use of realistic cut-outs has precedence in other Yukon communities, including Teslin, where officials say a similar device prompted drivers to slow down.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Highway | South Klondike Highway |
| Proximity | North of Carcross |
| Speed change | 90 km/h → 50 km/h |
| Partners | Carcross/Tagish First Nation and Yukon RCMP |
| Installed | Last month |
While the cut-out is an immediate visual prompt, officials and residents alike acknowledge the need for ongoing attention to road design, signage, and enforcement to address the underlying safety issues that prompted its placement.
For residents, the measure offers reassurance that local government and police are responding to community concern. For drivers passing through the area, the installation serves as a reminder to adjust speed at the designated transition point and to be alert for pedestrians and local traffic.
Yukon RCMP and Carcross/Tagish First Nation did not announce additional enforcement changes at the time of installation. Residents are encouraged to follow posted speed limits and to report dangerous driving to local authorities.
This initiative highlights how small, community-driven interventions can be deployed quickly in Yukon communities, pairing local leadership with RCMP resources to address road-safety risks that matter to families and children living along northern highways.
