Path: utzoo!lsuc!ecicrl!clewis
From: clewis@ecicrl.UUCP (Chris Lewis)
Newsgroups: ont.general
Subject: Re: Ontario Highway Driving
Message-ID: <230@ecicrl.UUCP>
Date: 21 May 89 04:21:31 GMT
References: <6147@sunray.UUCP>
Reply-To: clewis@ecicrl.UUCP (Chris Lewis)
Distribution: ont
Organization: Elegant Communications Inc. (Ferret Division)
Lines: 48

In article <6147@sunray.UUCP> roberts@cognos.UUCP (Robert Stanley) writes:
>  b) any correlation between reduced speed limits and reduction in accident
>     rates, once an adjustment period has elapsed?  This would be of
>     interest based on any heavy-use highway system in the world.

There does seem to be some correlation, but whenever anybody quotes
any of these statistics they're usually jumped on because of other factors.
(fuel shortages, different vehicles, road conditions, seat belt laws etc.)

>One reason I ask this is because I am lead to believe that the 50 km
>stretch of the 401 running across the greater Toronto area is considered
>the most dangerous stretch of highway in Ontario, based on traffic
>accidents.  The figures I heard were 6,000+ accidents in 1988, 300+
>injuries, and 15+ deaths; I repeat, however, that this is hearsay only.

These figures are probably correct.  HOWEVER, there are (or were) stretches
of 80Km/hr highways that are considerably worse.  About 5 years ago,
the two worst spots in Ontario were the stretch of hwy 115 just south
of the hwy 35 junction, and hwy 11 around Severn Bridge.  Both two-lane
at their worst parts.

The former had 15 deaths one year (I saw approx 4 red blankets on separate 
trips past the Dutch Oven (?) restaurant - one of the accidents killed 
every member of the family that owned the restaurant), and the other had 
13 the following year (I was almost one of them).

Compare traffic volumes - the per-vehicle incidents on hwy 115 and 11
were considerably higher than the 401.  As a result, major changes have 
been and are being made to both 11 and 115.  (Mostly related to
off highway access to retail strips).  

What does this prove?  Not much - these highways had very different
problems from the 401.

Obviously, MTC doesn't consider the statistics for the 401 to be out-of-line 
considering the traffic volume, otherwise they'd be making at least some 
noise about making some changes to it.  (There are a number that could be 
done - half the difficulty is that the collector lanes keep swerving and adding
and subtracting lanes almost randomly - to stay on the collectors you
usually have to make quite a few lane changes.  For the less skilled
driver, they'll tend to stay left because they won't have to change
lanes so often.  Strict avoidance of "right lane must exit" arrangements
might make things safer)
-- 
Chris Lewis, Markham, Ontario, Canada
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