Roads: Increase Ontario 400-series Highway Speed Limit

[W. K. Lis]

Wildlife usually lose when they try.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

There are several concerns I have with raising the speed limit:

1) There is no "Keep Right" law. So, those centre lane hogs are a problem. Before raising the speed, there must be a law, and enforcement of the law to keep right.

2) Speed fines. Getting a $100 fine is not going to deter drivers. How about we look at the 50km/hr over $10,000 fine as an example. Set the 10 over at $1000. Each 10 over above that, $1000. So, fines would be 10 - $1000, 20 - $2000, 30 - $3000, 40 - $4000, 50 - $10,000.

3) Fencing. There are parts of Highways 400, 401, 404, 416, and 417, and more that do not have adequate fencing to keep animals off the road. Braking hard for animals is not a good thing.

4) Mandatory winter tires for all Ontario vehicles. Part of the problem is that when a flake of snow falls, many drivers go unnecessarily slow. Had they put winter tires on, they would not need to slow down quite so much.

I have drive in BC on the highways when they changed the speed limits. I have driven across Canada in the provinces that have 110km/hr speed limits. There are laws in place that make it safer (keep right and winter tires required).

Define unnecessarily slow. On a snow covered road there is no way to drive at, nevermind above, posted speed limits.

 

[MisterF]

There are several concerns I have with raising the speed limit:

1) There is no "Keep Right" law.

2) Speed fines. Getting a $100 fine is not going to deter drivers. How about we look at the 50km/hr over $10,000 fine as an example. Set the 10 over at $1000. Each 10 over above that, $1000. So, fines would be 10 - $1000, 20 - $2000, 30 - $3000, 40 - $4000, 50 - $10,000.

3) Fencing. There are parts of Highways 400, 401, 404, 416, and 417, and more that do not have adequate fencing to keep animals off the road. Braking hard for animals is not a good thing.

4) Mandatory winter tires for all Ontario vehicles. Part of the problem is that when a flake of snow falls, many drivers go unnecessarily slow. Had they put winter tires on, they would not need to slow down quite so much.

I have drive in BC on the highways when they changed the speed limits. I have driven across Canada in the provinces that have 110km/hr speed limits. There are laws in place that make it safer (keep right and winter tires required).

1) Yes there is, see Section 147 of the Highway Traffic Act. The law should be strengthened IMO, and enforced. This can be done coupled with new speed limits as it was in BC.
2) What are you basing these numbers on? Are they comparable with speeding fines in BC or other jurisdictions with 120+ speed limits?
3) Most highways are already designed for 120-130, including fencing. Especially on newer highways or recently rebuilt highways. There's literally nothing that needs to be added or changed to raise the speed limit.
4) Some BC highways are exempt from mandatory winter tires, including some with the 120 speed limit. As I said, most highways are designed for that kind of speed already and they're designed with the assumption that people will drive that fast. Obviously in snowy conditions people will slow down as they do now.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Define unnecessarily slow. On a snow covered road there is no way to drive at, nevermind above, posted speed limits.

Ontario refuses to experiment with adjustable speed limits.

 

[Johnny Au]

Ontario refuses to experiment with adjustable speed limits.

...and as shown in the video, certain lanes being faster than others (in Ontario's case, left lanes should be faster than right lanes). The second rightmost lane could be used for trucks and other slow vehicles including novice drivers and funeral processions (the rightmost lane being used for exiting (and preparation for exiting)), while the leftmost lane could be an HOV lane (even one that is tolled for single-occupant fossil-fuel-powered vehicles) with a much higher speed limit; public transit buses and emergency vehicles would have the highest priority on the leftmost lane.

 

[micheal_can]

North of Killarney on Highway 69(future 400), there is a wildlife overpass. Also, they have built several underpasses for wildlife.