“Ideas How To Improve Highway Safety”

Hey i wanted to know what others think are some good ways to improve highway safety.

1. No more ending right lanes

2. Set a realistic speed limit with 85th percentile (120-130 on 401 ex, or a unrestricted limit where possible)

3. Add signs to highway over bridges and over pass (" Move Right Except to pass.")

4. In urban centers have electronic signs with a speed limit according to traffic conditions.

5. Different speed limits on highway according to volume/ conditions / location.

6. Concrete Median where the old wood / steel ones exist.

Anyone else, nothing i have said is unrealistic or to costly, in fact i think alot of other countries have this in place such as the Autobahn and many other European countries.

7. I dont know if possible but perhaps some kind of campaign to help road safety. Instead of saying speed kills or making new laws and fines. Perhaps it would go a long way for the OPP and the MTO to issue some commercials asking drives to drive safe. Such as being focused, not drinking and driving, seat belts, paying attention, moving to the right except to pass.

Yes! Do all the above... but FIRST repeal all the dumb "stunt laws".

You have to wonder why the engineers designed the highways with all of these disappearing/reappearing right lanes... I guess it was just the most convenient thing to do.

Radar Identified wrote:You have to wonder why the engineers designed the highways with all of these disappearing/reappearing right lanes... I guess it was just the most convenient thing to do.

Money........................

I agree with all that was said here in this thread, but I have a feeling that none of that will be implemented for one simple reason - IT MAKES SENSE.

I would like to see the following:

- vehicle sensors to prevent following too close as per speed travelled

- no concrete barriers, but lanes apart by 50metres. It is hell for emergency services to get to the other side (some areas is 20km of barrier....times both directions 40km) that is along time in an emergency.

- in car sensor that emits a red light in the dome light, when the vehicles is within 500m of an emergency vehicle with lights activated, then emits a tone when the emergency vehicle is within 200m.

- a sensor in the vehicle to shut down the power train of the car, should it be "failing to stop" for police (pursuit) police engage a switch and it terminates the power train engagement, vehicle still has power to safely guide to the shoulder.

Maybe it's time we ban the new "blinder" style of glasses:

Heres another, have the province by back the 407 to take the load off the 401.

They taxed us to pay for it and then they sold it for a pirvate company to make profits off it thats just wrong.

Anyone can build a highway and charge a toll for it. But thats just wrong when they make the public pay for it and then private the profits......

The 407 could take alot of load and volume off the 401 in toronto.

tdrive2 wrote:Heres another, have the province by back the 407 to take the load off the 401..

yeah, that is still baffling....give up a "cash cow"........

people complain about speeding tickets that are avoidable, but will gladly drive onto a "pay-as-you-go" highway

407 is expensive and people are willing to pay it to not deal with the congestion on the 401, if they're willing to go that far out of the way. 407 also has the lowest crash rate of any highway in North America, even with the regular excessive speeding.

Province shouldn't have sold it in the first place, but they did. Actually, they leased it, so they're still collecting some revenue from it. Difference is, most of the toll funds are going to highway improvements and upgrades, which are put in when they're necessary. I think that if the province gets their hands back on the 407, the tolls will stay high (the promise of "lower 407 tolls" is right up there with "we will get rid of the GST," IMO) and instead of most of the money being spent on the highway, it will probably be diverted elsewhere.

What would really help clear traffic off the 401 is if they put more freight on rails (hence fewer trucks), which isn't immediately feasible but as gas prices shoot up it will be more of an option, if not eventually a necessity.

I 407 everyday and it saves me 20-30 minutes one way, lets see $5 for 30 minutes, here's my coinage. I don't think it's a better, different highway, it's just not as full, do mostly to the tolls.

The 407 is great i was just pointing out its wrong to use public money the government took from people to build a highway and privatize the profits.

The 407 is great but costly, people drive fast on that highway. I have been passed many times people going well over 120-140.

I find its more people in a hurry driving expensive cars.