Road Safety & Vision Zero Plan

[W. K. Lis]

Say Car “Crash,” Not Accident​

From link.

Traffic safety activists are rising up across the country to call on legislators and the public to change how they refer to motor vehicles collisions involving cars, trucks and motorcycles. The word “accident,” they say, makes it sound like the crash was not preventable, despite the fact that a majority of collisions are caused by human negligence or error.

Advocacy groups and supporters of this movement have come to the conclusion it is wrong to refer to a crash or collision as an accident, saying they believe millions of people are being misled to believe that fatalities from car collisions can’t be prevented or avoided since they are an inevitable accident.

In fact, the top causes for road crashes are poor street conditions, distracted driving, drunk or impaired driving, excessive speeding, and negligence on the part of the drivers. All of these causes are preventable.

Families for Safe Streets and many other advocacy groups are seeking to eliminate the word “accident” when referring to a motor vehicle collision and replacing it with “crash” or “collision,” saying it is more precise. These groups have begun rallying for this in New York and in other states across the country.

There’s even a website for this movement – https://www.crashnotaccident.com/ – sponsored by Families for Safe Streets and Transportation Alternatives, which promotes their mission:

“Planes don’t have accidents. They crash. Cranes don’t have accidents. They collapse. And as a society, we expect answers and solutions. Traffic crashes are fixable problems, caused by dangerous streets and unsafe drivers. They are not accidents.”​

 

[Obsidian]

^ I could only find the list of the 20 pedestrian fatalities on the TPS web site, and not the more meaningful set of 77 Killed/Serious Injury incidents.

The KSI number gets less attention but in my view needs to be part of the picture for analysis - because incidents that lead to life-changing injury are likely to share many of the same causal factors as fatalities. And in many ways, are just as important to eliminate.

However, since the 20 fatalities are a serious matter enough - it's worth noting the locations. I was struck by the number that are on major streets.

- Paul

View attachment 447601

I am not surprised by most of these deaths being on wide suburban stroads where traffic speed is usually high, but I am surprised by the death at Yonge and College. anyone know the circumstances to this one?

 

[crs1026]

I am not surprised by most of these deaths being on wide suburban stroads where traffic speed is usually high, but I am surprised by the death at Yonge and College. anyone know the circumstances to this one?

Man charged in fatal downtown Toronto hit-and-run as police try to identify victim​

- Paul

 

[afransen]

So is this what we're calling traffic accidents now to make the problem seem more sinister so we can compare it to actual violent crimes?

I agree that calling them "accidents" downplays that they are a conscious consequence of design decisions. Negligence is perhaps more accurate.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Say Car “Crash,” Not Accident​

From link.

And while we’re chasing pedantry; we write, rather than say accidents here on UT.

 

[lenaitch]

I suppose as a start you could write your MPP and lobby them to change the HTA as a first step - it still uses the term "accident" and I suspect the relevant sections haven't been changed in years. Law enforcement generally moved on years ago as uses the term 'collision' (collision reporting centre), although 'incident' and 'occurrence' are sometimes used.

The Transport Safety Board uses the term 'occurrence'; although the UK counterpart is called the Air Accident Investigation Branch, so there's that.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Say Car “Crash,” Not Accident​

From link.

How would you use accident in a sentence without violating your apparent logic that nothing is accidental?

 

[allengeorge]

The issue is that by painting any car-related event as an ‘accident’ we normalize infrastructure and choices that make it possible, because accidents are shocking, unexpected and can’t be foreseen; there’s essentially nothing we could have done to prevent them. This is absolutely not the case with a lot of car crashes: we are acutely aware of the design and behavior choices that often encourage and lead to these outcomes.

The word ‘crash’ does not imply judgement. It’s up to investigators to figure out the cause; in some cases it may be an accident - while in others road design and human behavior will have brought about the event.

 

[MisterF]

When I was in drivers ed in the 90s they made a point to use the word collision instead of accident. So this logic has been around for a while.

 

[Northern Light]

In discussion w/City staff, I have confirmed that in all major road reconstructions it is now policy to remove slip lanes by default.

The only partial exception is skewed intersections where the intent is to remove, if possible, but additional review applies.

 

[W. K. Lis]

In discussion w/City staff, I have confirmed that in all major road reconstructions it is now policy to remove slip lanes by default.

The only partial exception is skewed intersections where the intent is to remove, if possible, but additional review applies.

If they make up an excuse not to remove the slip lanes, they had better have raised crossings in the slip lane.

From link.

 

[Towered]

In discussion w/City staff, I have confirmed that in all major road reconstructions it is now policy to remove slip lanes by default.

The only partial exception is skewed intersections where the intent is to remove, if possible, but additional review applies.

Excellent. One was just removed at Dundas and The Kingsway.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Two women in hospital after vehicle collides with TTC shelter​

From link.

Toronto Paramedics has confirmed one of the victims was rushed to a trauma centre seriously injured.​

Two women were rushed to a trauma centre after a driver went through a TTC shelter in Scarborough Saturday afternoon, Toronto paramedics said.

Toronto police said the incident happened at a bus stop near McCowan Road and Bellechase Street just north of Lawrence Avenue E shortly after 3:30 p.m.

Paramedics were called to the scene and transported a woman in her 20s, seriously injured, and another woman of unknown age with minor injuries to a nearby hospital.

Paramedics told The Star both women were in the bus shelter at the time of the incident. Neither the driver nor passengers in the vehicle were injured.

McCowan Road has been closed northbound at St. Andrew Street and southbound to Brimorton Drive.

Police remain at the scene investigating.

Bus shelter worked as designed. Designed to reduce possible additional injury to occupants of the motor vehicle. Injury to occupants of bus shelter is just collateral damage. Nothing to see here.

A bus shelter was taken out after being hit by a vehicle at the Bellechasse St. area. Arthur Pressick/CITYNEWS
From link.

 

[H4F33Z]

In discussion w/City staff, I have confirmed that in all major road reconstructions it is now policy to remove slip lanes by default.

The only partial exception is skewed intersections where the intent is to remove, if possible, but additional review applies.

Really? This is Kipling Avenue and Albion Road. As you can see, the road was reconstructed very recently, but the slip lanes were kept. And the crosswalk got a downgrade?? No zebra markings.

2019

2020

Yes, I know this is a skewed intersection, but the angle isn't that sharp, and the city has removed slip lanes at many skewed intersections. You could've easily reconfigured the corners. Here's what they should've done.

Current:

Instead:

You can use Truck Aprons! This forces most drivers to take a sharper angle when turning but still allows larger vehicles to turn. The city's engineering staff know their options, but sometimes it seems like Vision Zero is just an afterthought.

 

[Northern Light]

Really? This is Kipling Avenue and Albion Road. As you can see, the road was reconstructed very recently, but the slip lanes were kept. And the crosswalk got a downgrade?? No zebra markings.

2019
View attachment 450563
2020
View attachment 450564

Yes, I know this is a skewed intersection, but the angle isn't that sharp, and the city has removed slip lanes at many skewed intersections. You could've easily reconfigured the corners. Here's what they should've done.

Current:
View attachment 450566

Instead:
View attachment 450567

You can use Truck Aprons! This forces most drivers to take a sharper angle when turning but still allows larger vehicles to turn. The city's engineering staff know their options, but sometimes it seems like Vision Zero is just an afterthought.

You know, I think your a very well intended and very smart guy but sometimes, I think you let your anger get the better of you, and I don't think that serves you, or the cause of cycling well.

First off, the project you showed is a resurfacing, and a minor one, not a reconstruction. You can easily tell by looking at the old median, and the by the relative height of the curb.

Second, when do you think a project done in 2020 was designed? Hint: A minimum of 2 years earlier if not 3 or 4 or more.

A change in City policy does not trigger re-doing existing designs. This is a practical matter, there's only so many staff and so much time, and if you pull the plug to redesign a project it costs a lot of money and time, and
it makes other departments or units with whom you have to work a bit grumpy.

Third, when do you think the current head of City Cycling and Pedestrian Infrastructure arrived in Toronto? Answer: September 2019, this project pre-dates her influence considerably.

***

I totally get where you coming from Hafeez. Your irritated, because something you've given serious thought to, and had a passion for, for 5, maybe 10 years isn't moving fast enough........

Imagine if you'd been doing that same advocacy work for 35 years.

I'm incredibly pleased to see things moving forward faster than ever, led by staff who actually get out and cycle, not just for show, but every single day.

Is it going as fast as I'd like? No.

But the machine is moving fast.........much faster than you think.

I've dropped a slew of hints about this year's work program, and there's stuff I haven't said yet, because its not the right time.

It would have been nice if the above intersection had been done differently..........that was then, this is now. Different leaders, different policies.