Raising speed limits isn’t a clear-cut solution
I will state this right out of the gate: I think governments making policy decisions that impact our lives and safety should extensively consult those who know what they’re talking about. I don’t believe Ontario’s current government does much consulting before making sweeping changes. This is the opinion of this writer, not necessarily this outlet, but it’s my name up there and I stand by it.
While it was widely reported and hinted that we should expect to see pilot projects for speed limits on 400 series highways in Ontario to go up to 120 km/h — “The 400-series highways were built for, I believe, a speed limit of 120 km/h safely,” Minister Jeff Yurek noted at a news conference — the Ministry of Transportation hedged its bets with the official announcement targeting a move to 110 km/h the from the current 100 km/h.
Pilot projects will be in three test areas — Highway 417 near the Ontario/Quebec border, the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) from St. Catharines to Hamilton, and Highway 402 from London to Sarnia — raising the speed limit to 110 km/h. They also announced the limit for stunt driving will remain at 150 km/h.
Though I didn’t see this ransom demand on literally any voter’s wish list before the election, there it is. Is it the right call? Let’s unbundle the ball of knots that is this debate.
People already drive at 120 km/h
Some do. I do under some conditions. Some people drive at 140. Trucks with speed limiters in Quebec and Ontario are held to 105. Many drivers are doing 100.
The safest thing on our highways is to have everyone going the same speed. Ideally, it would be safest if all of those vehicles were also the same size. That’s physics, not politics. That’s why it’s a good thing to listen to engineers, but human nature is not physics and that’s why it’s a good thing to listen to people who have to deal with human psychology. Police have been careful in their on-the-record response to the proposed increases, saying they don’t make the laws, but they enforce them and will continue to do so.
I’ve spoken to three officers who are all against the proposed increases, and it’s not because they get their kicks out of busting speeders. Our roads are populated with badly trained drivers (my opinion) who are increasingly distracted.
All things being equal
The congested rat’s nest that encompasses the Greater Toronto Area is not the same as the long haul to Kingston or Sarnia. It’s the same highway 401, but they aren’t the same animal. By all means, consider raising the limit to the de-facto speed used on these outer stretches that sport fewer vehicles, and far fewer exits. But in the concrete jungle that hosts the worst congestion in North America, with nearly half a million vehicles pounding across it every day, we are talking about two very different sets of logistics.
Be careful what you wish for
When British Columbia raised speed limits up to 120 km/h on 1,500 kilometres of highways in 2014, all of the above arguments carried the day. By 2016, they rolled back a third of them. Why? A study found following the bump to the higher limits was a 118 per cent increase in fatalities, a 43 per cent increase in insurance claims, and a 30 per cent jump in injuries. Higher speeds result in more damage than the same collision at lower speeds.
Fuel consumption matters
Higher speeds use more fuel. They also produce more CO2 emissions, which is counter to the direction we need our world to head.
This province in facing far more pressing issues than the colour of its licence plates, what time the liquor store opens, how cheaply you can buy beer, and whether you can tailgate at a football game. These are flags being unfurled to take your eye off the ball.
Raising speed limits is another distraction — and a deadly one.