News   Apr 03, 2020
 9.1K     3 
News   Apr 02, 2020
 10K     0 
News   Apr 02, 2020
 3.3K     0 

Transportation Safety and Vision Zero

It always makes me chuckle when I see people slam on their brakes before each speed bump, speed up, and repeat on roads with multiple raised crossings/bumps. Or, you know, they could just stop speeding and gradually slow down before each bump. They recently put speed bumps on Saddleback Road through Skyrattler, a popular shortcut between 111 St and 23 Ave with a 30 zone and awful painted bike lanes with sketchy visibility, and people are still speeding just like this.
 
Young boy's life cut very short this morning at this intersection. I don't know details, but community has been concerned for a while.

I was told drivers seem confused by this unmarked intersection where many kids cross for the bus. Parked cars at times impact visibility, too.

Screenshot_20251103_135547_Gmail.jpg
Screenshot_20251103_135610_Gmail.jpg
 
Young boy's life cut very short this morning at this intersection. I don't know details, but community has been concerned for a while.

I was told drivers seem confused by this unmarked intersection where many kids cross for the bus. Parked cars at times impact visibility, too.

View attachment 693064View attachment 693065

There is a serious speeding problem in most neighbourhoods around this city. I regularly get passed by motorists with no concept of spatial awareness or thinking ahead while riding my bike at 30 in a 30kmh zone, or even 40 in a km/hr zone. Only to catch them seconds later. Congrats on endangering my life (and others) for literally no benefit.

Someone should do a study in different neighbourhoods of the number of drivers who will stop for pedestrians at crosswalks like this and compare it to other factors like neighbourhood design, decade of construction, census details, etc.. I'd put a wager on those constructed circa 1970s-1990s being the worst in terms of compliance. This leads to a self-reinforcing cycle of pedestrians waving cars through their right-of-way after being understandably intimidated, and motorists getting used to just ignoring that pedestrians exist and blowing through every crosswalk without paying attention. Then stuff like this happens.
 
I take the entire lane at 30 km/h in the playground zone near my home. On occasion, like yesterday, I see the scoreboard speed monitor flash 35, 40 before abruptly dropping back down to 28-30.
 

What is causing more vehicle incidents in Edmonton and Calgary (where a high number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries are occuring)?

 

What is causing more vehicle incidents in Edmonton and Calgary (where a high number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries are occuring)?


I can’t comment with certainty as I do not know the particulars of all the serious collisions, but it was widely predicted that there would be an increase in road deaths and injuries after automated speed enforcement was severely limited by Devin Dreeshen and the UCP.

Automated speed enforcement has consistently been shown to reduce road deaths and injuries. The published literature is robust, there is no ambiguity.

It is unfortunately not surprising that road deaths and injuries are increasing. I doubt there will be any accountability, as the UCP does not seem to take accountability for any of its actions, but I find it astounding that a government can adopt a policy that undoubtedly leads to an increased number of its people dying premature and preventable deaths.

Maybe I’m just naive though.
 
I can’t comment with certainty as I do not know the particulars of all the serious collisions, but it was widely predicted that there would be an increase in road deaths and injuries after automated speed enforcement was severely limited by Devin Dreeshen and the UCP.

Automated speed enforcement has consistently been shown to reduce road deaths and injuries. The published literature is robust, there is no ambiguity.

It is unfortunately not surprising that road deaths and injuries are increasing. I doubt there will be any accountability, as the UCP does not seem to take accountability for any of its actions, but I find it astounding that a government can adopt a policy that undoubtedly leads to an increased number of its people dying premature and preventable deaths.

Maybe I’m just naive though.
As a wise man said...

1762375521437.png
 
I can’t comment with certainty as I do not know the particulars of all the serious collisions, but it was widely predicted that there would be an increase in road deaths and injuries after automated speed enforcement was severely limited by Devin Dreeshen and the UCP.

Automated speed enforcement has consistently been shown to reduce road deaths and injuries. The published literature is robust, there is no ambiguity.

It is unfortunately not surprising that road deaths and injuries are increasing. I doubt there will be any accountability, as the UCP does not seem to take accountability for any of its actions, but I find it astounding that a government can adopt a policy that undoubtedly leads to an increased number of its people dying premature and preventable deaths.

Maybe I’m just naive though.
Oh, Devin, he's such a scamp!

Seriously though, did those clowns ever give a reason for this idiocy? Other than (probably) FREEDUM? People running reds are now rampant and I'm starting to get more and more nervous about driving. Thank god I don't have to for work.
 
I'm just curious if there is even a pretend reason they're giving for it. I mean obviously it's not evidence-based and likely geared towards their muh-truck loving crew, but you'd think they'd at least pretend to have an actual reason? Or am I naive?
 
I would say these findings may also be a factor:

"Driving skills generally improve with initial experience, plateau over time, and can eventually decline due to complacency."

That said, aren't our youngest drivers most likely to have infractions? I'm not sure.

Complacency and Bad Habits: Experienced drivers often develop and reinforce bad habits through laziness or inattention, such as not coming to a complete stop or using mobile phones.

Overconfidence: More experienced drivers may overestimate their skills, particularly their perceptual-motor skills (e.g., fast reactions), while underestimating the importance of safety skills (e.g., driving carefully). This can lead to increased risk-taking, such as speeding or accepting smaller gaps in traffic.

Reduced Feedback: Unlike new drivers who receive constant feedback from instructors, experienced drivers rarely receive formal feedback, allowing minor errors to become ingrained habits.

Physical and Cognitive Changes: As drivers age, natural physical and cognitive changes, such as reduced reaction time, vision problems, and decreased flexibility (e.g., inability to check blind spots easily), can compromise driving ability.

"In essence, while experienced drivers have better developed hazard detection and response capabilities than novices, they are more susceptible to risky behaviors and the effects of physical aging, which can ultimately lead to a decline in overall safety."

And then there is issue of design of our roads/streets, design of vehicles (size), and traffic laws/rules.
 

Back
Top