“Disobey Stop Sign - Fail To Stop Hta 136(1)(a)”

Bookm wrote:This won't come as a surprise to most here but I think we should have abolished the "complete stop" element of traffic law a long time ago. Many European countries prefer a "yield" type system and it makes sense.

Funny you mention such a thing...........our area of the 401 is being rebuild in the next 5 years and asked if anyone in our office has suggestions. I happened to have made one.....

Directional specific ramps at all exits. This is to prevent stopping and waiting for a traffic light. Prevent collisions by traffic not having yo cross directional traffic to go the opposite way.

(EG...travel WB on hwy 401. You have to exit on road "X" and travel north......the ramp will simply merge you into the NB traffic.....to go south on road "X" the ramp starts just under the overpass and loops around to head south and merge into SB traffic.)

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety [quoted via Wikipedia]

Roundabouts are safer than both traffic circles and traditional intersections—having 40% fewer vehicle collisions, 80% fewer injuries and 90% fewer serious injuries and fatalities (according to a study of a sampling of roundabouts in the United States, compared with the intersections they replaced). Roundabouts also reduce points of conflict between pedestrians and motor vehicles and are therefore considered to be safer for them.

ticketcombat wrote:According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety [quoted via Wikipedia]

Roundabouts are safer than both traffic circles and traditional intersections—having 40% fewer vehicle collisions, 80% fewer injuries and 90% fewer serious injuries and fatalities (according to a study of a sampling of roundabouts in the United States, compared with the intersections they replaced). Roundabouts also reduce points of conflict between pedestrians and motor vehicles and are therefore considered to be safer for them.

Having spent several weeks driving in Europe this year alone, I can attest to the fact that they move traffic along really well. They are also well policed, at least in Southern Europe.

The major problem is that here they make the roundabouts way too small. I do not mean that they should be gigantic like the one in Hamilton at Kenilworth Ave and Kimberley Dr, near Lawrence, but that is a good size for a busier junction or 5+ roadway junction. The ones I see here are way too small, and one has to slow down to 20 km/h. The worst is that some people refuse to understand the roundabouts.

Good points by HB, TC and racer! I think the roundabout at the west end of Ancaster, where Wilson meets Meadowbrook, is a classic example of a roundabout that would be a lot better if it were bigger. Drivers would likely (we can hope) be better at using them if they were more common.

Apologies in advance if this is a stupid question, but why, on the 400-series and the QEW, do we no longer see classic cloverleafs? Do they take up too much real estate? Are they too expensive to build? Some other reason? They seem such an elegant solution to the intersection problem -- all traffic just merges and nobody has an unnecessary stop.