It's a subdivision, not a speedway

1. Posted by CupCrazy on Wed, May 28, 2008

If anything, speed limit should increase. It's frustrating driving in big cities like Toronto now since there are all these people who are driving so slow and causing huge congestion within the city. People become dangerous drivers when they are frustrated with these slow drivers. If you are driving slow and not in a hurry, take a bus.

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2. Posted by hullnorthof7 on Wed, May 28, 2008

I think it should be up to the individual neibourhood's to make there own speed limits. The defionition of residental is quite vage. As for Highway speed limits, I think they should be increased and min. speed limits should be inforced. More accidents happen when someone is doing 40 in a 100 then you think.

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3. Posted by thefendall on Wed, May 28, 2008

I agree with rtx042 I have travelled all over the world and we drive slow (many drive bad,but...) the rest of the world teaches their children how it should be, and thats the end of it! then they raise the speed limits far beyond what north america is used to, in tiny streets and gets rid of photo radar traps, but for some reason they have 80% less accidents! I'm all for going to the track to race, and slowing down in school/playgroung zones but other then that, get bent and get with the flow (its safer!)

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4. Posted by RealityCheck on Wed, May 28, 2008

Since when is it ok to let your kids play in traffic? Isn't that what backyards and playgrounds are for? Instead of slowing down already congested traffic in our ever growing cities, why not beef up the laws on child negligence? I'm as forgiving as the next guy when a parent "accidentally" loses track of their child, but if you're smart enough to parent children, you should be smart enough to take responsible actions to protect them. That may be as simple as fencing off your yard and closing the gate.

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5. Posted by ray on Wed, May 28, 2008

That would be cool. Rush hours would be twice as long, busses would then slow down even more and it would it make it more competitive for joggers, fast walkers, bicycles, skateboarders and rollerbladers to keep up with the vehicles. Does a car taking twice as long to get somewhere reduce the carbon emitted by the same car getting there earlier. Ambulances and Firetrucks would also be slowed down by the rate of vehicular traffic. The only people gettilng anywhere with any rate of speed would be on electic wheelchairs or those battery operatated scooters for those with ambulatory restrictions. THE SAFEST and WISEST way to make roads and streets safer is to improve the infrastructure including lighting systems instead of 4 ways stops. Let us start spending some of the gas tax money and pst and gst earned on these things for what it was intended for. KEEPING up with times and IMPROVING or at least KEEPING UP the infrastucture. So for now put your tea down or coffee or Red Bull or whatever else you are drinking while doing crosswords, sodoku or browsing the papers and flyers or watching Dr. Phil or Oprah and supervise the Children who are playing street hockey, skating, rollerblading and riding with training wheels on the roads. They are not supervised public playgrounds. They are thoroughfares and traffic can be deadly even at 30kmh or 15 mph.

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6. Posted by Leon on Wed, May 28, 2008

I totally disagree. I think its the parents' job to keep the kids from running on to the road randomly. There is a reason why there is a sidewalk and there is a road and each is designed for their designated use. I live in Vancouver and there are already 30km/h speed limits set around playgrounds, parks, and schools, which I feel is a good safety measure because those places are where kids hang out and play. Lowering the speed limit in a residential area where there might be some kids living there is absurd. You might as well rate every street at a 30km/h limit because there may be some kids that will run across the street. I am 21, I for one, never ran across the street without looking when I was young, not even a small subdivision street because that is what my parents taught me. None of my friends have ever been hit by a car either. If there are kids running randomly across the street, then those parents really need to step up on what they teach their kids. Its not the driver's fault, and if you decide to jump out right when a car is coming back, I don't think being at 30km/h is going to help much compared to 50, especially with the HUGE SUV's that soccer mom's drive nowadays. And for the record, I don't speed in subdivision streets. There is a certain comfort limit you can drive at with cars lining both sides of the street and only a small lane is all you've got to drive through in the middle.

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7. Posted by thefendall on Wed, May 28, 2008

everyone forgets how it works in the rest of the world, you look at Toronto, with lights and many rules, than compare it to Montreal with 10% of the lights and faster speed limits but they have less accidents... if thats one thing the europeans have its go with the flow, more control creates anomosity.. and even more adament teens with their middle fingers up.

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8. Posted by David J on Wed, May 28, 2008

By and large Canadians are law abiding, sincere, honest and I am sure that most Canadians would agree for not only a reduction in the speed limits, but also for a more logical application of rules. Unfortunately, however, the rules have been designed by people with very little qualification, poor intelligence, conflict of interests and without proper application of mind. I would say that the rules have made to create the maximum no of collisions. I not only agree for a reduction in the speed limit, I also demand that the minimum speed limit should be removed. I was once pulled up by a police officer for driving too slow when there were no cars behind me, the road was under repair and I had slowed down to allow the police car on the other lane to go ahead. this was near St Claire and Dufferin. In my opinion the minimum speed limit is enforceable only under ideal driving conditions and not when the road is under repair. In fact I have sued the government for discriminatory practices while issuing driving license and the matter is pending before the human rights commission. The police officers and the ministry of transportation officials may be by and large fair and honest in implementing the rules, but unless the rules are made more logical, collisions are only bound to increase. The ministry of Transportation should look at taking advice from other countries where appointments to senior positions are based on intelligence and not on presentation skills, irrespective of whether the country is a third world country.

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9. Posted by cm060360@rogers.com on Wed, May 28, 2008

It never ceases to amaze me how people drive today. The problem seems to lie in the fact that people today do not use common sense or courtesy on the roads. The basic rules of driving are not being obeyed! Tail-gating, not using blinkers(turning signals),merging(so many people have no idea what that means it seems) and the list goes on! Where are the police and why are they not enforcing the basic rules of the road? As for kids playing on the roads? Why are they playing there anyway and where are their parents? I see so many young people out playing on the streets unsupervised. If you want children then be responsible for them! It seems also that we have taught children and teenagers as well as adult pedestrians that that have the right of way and that they can just walk out into the roads without looking and that a 2000 pound vehicle is supposed to just stop on a dime because they do so. Smarten up people! We should be teaching the opposite but again that would be common sense and what would this society want with that?! As for speed? Well as the price of gas goes up so has the speed limits so I am in favour for reducing speed limits. However,once again what is the point of all of this if there are no police on the highways to enforce the laws? Secondly, people should learn to give themselves time in the mornings to get to work instead of staying up half the night or just being to lazy to get up and tearing off to work putting people like myself in danger because of their idiotic driving. Perhaps stay off of the cell phones too and put your make-up on before leaving the house instead of doing it while they are driving. You see the problems of driving are many but the most problems are caused by a lack of common sense and courtesy! Wake up and smell the coffee Canada! And again where are the police? We need the Highway Patrol back because apparently we do not have enought R.C.M.P. to do the job

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10. Posted by ryder4 on Wed, May 28, 2008

The street I live on the average speed people travel at is 70Km. At night that speed goes up to 80-90KM. I'd just like to see more enforcement of current speed limits. If you go over the current speed limit, you should get hit hard with fines and so on. But raising speed limits is just ridiculous.

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11. Posted by fhillis@rogers.com on Wed, May 28, 2008

I agree slow down period. The worst offenders are S.U.V. mom's in their own neighborhood picking up and dropping off their own kid's usually late. I know i live near a school;/

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12. Posted by Subjected To Life on Wed, May 28, 2008

Most people today couldnt drive a horse and buggy! These young drivers who think they are good drivers because most of them have taken a drivers course seem to be the worst! No common sense or courtesy! Pedestrians seem to think that the have the total right of way and walk into the streets without ever lookinf sideways and want me to stop my car on a dime. See what we have taught them? Good God people! Common sense is not as common as it used to be. People on bikes is another thing. They ride ten or twelve at a time and ride side by side taking up the damnned road! I have had to stop on a highway until oncoming traffic has gone by to proceed. Its crazy! They cannot see you coming as some bureaucrat has decided that bikes are a motor vehicle and should drive in the same direction as cars. Now I see people walking with their backs to traffic as well and these things should be changed. Who makes these stupid rules? Get the Highway Patrol back as the RCMP cannot seem to deal with it and change the rules to suit a 2 ton vehicle instead of catering to pedestrian (to the extreme) as you have done. The speed limits should be reduced as it just causes us to burn more fuel and demand is bad enough now as is the resulting price of fuel. Now remember--LOOK BOTH WAYS KIDDIES! I will tell you since your parents never taught you anything!

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13. Posted by Paul on Wed, May 28, 2008

This is a terrible idea. I think the limit should be INCREASED to what the REAL limit is, which is 60 in a 50, 95 in an 80, 105 in a 90, and 120 in a 100. The posted "maximum" is not a maximum at all, since anyone driving at the posted maximum is likely to be able to see the face of the angry person in the car behind them in their rear-view mirror. If we want people to slow down, why don't we enforce the limits we already have rather than lowering them to different limits that still won't be enforced or followed.

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14. Posted by thefendall on Wed, May 28, 2008

I agree with the comment about cell phones and makeup, you look at the UK and if you get caught it is upwards of a 1000 dollar fine of you are caught! thats what we need, sad that we need common sense laws over parenting laws. I am nearly 30 and have thought about children but the lack or responsibility of a few leads to personal embarrassment and not wanting to control the DRIVERS of the roads designed for vehicles: take your kids and dogs to the park, and teach them.

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15. Posted by Bruce B on Wed, May 28, 2008

Of course, parents who don't know the rules of the road that all bicycle riders are supposed to follow along with other vehicle drivers do not tell their kids to follow the rules of the road. A bicycle running on the wrong side of the road will easily encroach upon that 20km/hr difference, but is that in the statistics? A bicycle rider who drives on PEDESTRIAN sidewalks and darts onto the road because there are pedestrians legally walking in the only safe area for them (sideWALK) is going to face opposing traffic 50% of the time, which also puts them in that 20km/hr difference. And bike riders who run through pedestrian crosswalks when the pedestrian signal is green, but there is no pedestrian in the crosswalk are also more than likely going to put themselves in that 50km/hr danger zone. But it is the car driver who pays through the wallet, and the parents of the offending bike rider who tries to lay blame on the doorstep of any body other than themselves. Teach your kids how and where to drive, instead of looking only at the speed limit

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16. Posted by Hi. on Wed, May 28, 2008

I'm all for 30kmh for school and park area's as is already but completely against changing current 50 zones to 30. If anything speed limits need to go up across the board. It's not the speed that's the problem, it's the drivers. Let's face it young drivers (especially those below 20) tend to be very wreckless and the old drivers (50 ) start to show their age with slow reaction time and and being oblivious to their surroundings. In my opionion people 20-50 should be the only people driving. Oh and cell phones should not be allowed while driving. I've lost count of how many time's people on cell's almost get into accidents. When I see someone with a cell I keep a big distance now or pass them asap. TL;DR: Keep speed limits as are on school/park zones, increase the rest. Speed limits don't cause bad driving, people do. ps. tell you're kids to avoid using asphalt it's not hard. Sidewalks and the side of roads are your friend mr.pedestrian.

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17. Posted by kamustahappy on Wed, May 28, 2008

I just completed a survey, and 100% of canadians surveyed said "people should get parenting licenses."

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18. Posted by Rhiley_08j on Wed, May 28, 2008

I agree rtx42 that there are a lot of kids that have absolutely no regard for vehicles, however, there are those that do and yet the possibility still exists for them. If they are playing ball and the ball happens to travel out into the road, in the spur of the moment, the child may forget about the consequences, and that is when an accident occurs. If a vehicle was travelling at 30km/hr compared to 60km/hr that driver will have more time to respond to seeing that ball come out, possibly preventing them from hitting the child that may be coming behind it. I am not saying that your views are ill-founded but to classify all kids that get hit by vehicles as having no regard for vehicles and parents that simply aren't watching their children is absolutely absurd. Accidents happen. It's an unfortunate circumstance of like, but it is a fact.

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19. Posted by K7 on Wed, May 28, 2008

you should first re-consider giving licenses to people who can't even drive in a straight line let alone parallel park (yes, i wish i had a camera) and one thing that gets me most - LEFT LANE - is for FASTER CARS - not cars doing 100 kmh flat because the sign says so - but FASTER CARS. this is what leads to road-rage. how can you travel for 5 mins and not see a vehicle flashing lights behind you?!

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20. Posted by Rudy F on Wed, May 28, 2008

What's the hurry people? I am presently in Germany and on most streets in suburbia its 30km/h. Why? Because it is safe. We have to get away from the notion that we need to be everywhere instantaneously. If you want to drive faster, go on the 401 series here in Ontario or whatever your equivalent is in your province. I support higher speeds at those roads, but within the city, slow traffic gets you there just as fast. (Think about it; wouldn't you rather drive 30km/h steady than stop and go?) By the way (trx42) whatever your name is; your comments show a lot of ignorance about the real issue. I go as far as saying that the comments made are of a ‘red neck’ nature.

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21. Posted by cookiemonster0125 on Wed, May 28, 2008

Lowering the speed limit. Really?!? This is going to solve the problems on the roads today? What's going to be the problem tomorrow? Speeding in residential areas is a valid concern, but not really an important one. Drivers need to use more common sense, and obey the law when driving. No aggressive driving, no tail-gating, no lane changing in an intersection, understanding right of way, etc. The list goes on and on. Today's drivers are lazy, ignorant of their surroundings, and seem to be more concerned about their coffee/cell phone/etc. then safely operating a large machine. On the sidewalks, parents need to teach their children about crossing the roads (use a crosswalk once in a while...too many people seem content to cross wherever because they're too lazy to walk to the corner first), and that cars don't stop instantly. Two sides of the scale...bad driving and bad parenting. And lowering the speed limit is the answer to it all. Sure it is, and here's your helmet for the world outside (it's dangerous out there).

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22. Posted by Smell the coffee on Wed, May 28, 2008

I completely agree with lowering the speed limit in residential areas. Some people drive to fast through these areas, combined with their obvious limited brain power. This is a bad combination. This is another example of an issue where the welfare of children is not a priority. Slow down and think about someone other than yourself for a moment.

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23. Posted by Katt on Wed, May 28, 2008

My child was hit by a car 6 years ago and nearly lost her life. She was riding a bike that a friend had loaned her as it turned out there were poor brakes on it. My point is it's not always the parents fault my child new to stay out of the road and through no fault of her own was hit as she could not stop properly. Sometimes things happen that are beyond both parties control, but as a driver; I know that I'm supposed to be in control of my vehicle at all times! That's not to say that parents don't need to take more responsibility for thier children. Children need to be aware at all times of what's going on all around them, no matter how much fun or how busy they are. I feel that the speed limits we have now need to be inforced not lowered.

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24. Posted by rayshelll on Wed, May 28, 2008

I don't understand how such a high percent of Canadians would like to see the speed limit change althewhile admitting to speeding and passing in residential areas? Just because drugs are illegal doesn't mean people don't do it, changing the law will not help, people need to get a brain and always drive cautiously!

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25. Posted by biffster77 on Wed, May 28, 2008

That's ridiculous! I highly doubt this claim that 74% support a slower speed limit. Actually, I think its an outright lie to support the author's view. This is not newsworthy.

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26. Posted by Albert-Razvan on Wed, May 28, 2008

Bogus. When I saw a limit change title, I thought it was to increase the speedlimit. Teach your children to WATCH for cars! They should stay OFF the road if they are not SURE cars are coming. People in Canada are not educated about how to walk in big cities. I believe the speedlimit in the city should stay 60, if not be increased to 80 on some roads. Plus, speedlimit on the highway should DEFINITELY be INCREASED! What's this bogus of 100 km/h max and at 150 they take your car?!? In Europe, there are either 130km/h speedlimits or NO SPEED LIMIT on highways. And you don't see radars on high ways. It's frustrating how bad people are at driving in this city. I've seen all 3 lines blocked on 401 by 3 cars, walking parallel to each other!! 3rd line is for passing! I've driven as much as 190km/h on 401, and I'm not the only one. It's a high-way, not a playground! The city limit should stay the same. To add more, Calgary has a speedlimit of 30km/h whenever a small park or school is around and children may be present. Drivers find it a pain in the a$$ because every times there's a radar there. Cars struggle to go 30km/h, the consumption is really high, and we're letting go to more dangerous gases from the car in the atmosphere.

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27. Posted by campbelllawrie on Wed, May 28, 2008

I think people that think the speed limit sould be incaeased should not have a drivers lience. If everyone would drive the speed limit there would be less problems on the road. It's the ones that excede the speed limit that cause the problems. If you are in a hurry mabey you should get out of bed a lot earlier and stop blaming the people that are fallowing the law. Most people just don't have any common sense when it comes to driving. If every one would sloww the hell down it would be alot safer world.

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28. Posted by on Wed, May 28, 2008

God help us!!! I already live in a community where 60 kph means 40 kph, and if they were going any slower, they'd be going backward! 1. Canadians need to learn how to drive. By and large, they suck at it. They don't know the rules of the road (e.g. person to the right has the right of way, check your blind spot before you change lanes, use a SIGNAL LIGHT when you plan to turn or change lanes). 2. Keep your children off the street!

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29. Posted by mikep on Wed, May 28, 2008

I think the speed limits in residential areas are just fine. Usually in school areas the speed limit is 40KM/hr. And those are usually enforced by police regularly between 3 and 6PM and in the mornings. I think dropping the spped limit would just make it a cash cow for the province and would entice more enforcement. If anything major highways should get a speed increase from 100KM/hr to 115KM/hr. And some major roads should go up from 50 or 60KM/hr to 70KM/hr. People usually drive properly for the road conditions, and of course there will always be the dumb ones who show no discretion in the way they drive.

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30. Posted by green2go3 on Wed, May 28, 2008

I will assume all of you leaving comments about keeping our children off the street, have none. I agree they should not be playing on the street. However, they are children who tend to get caught up in the moment and don't understand the consequences of their actions. i.e. chasing a ball on to the road, riding bikes. I live on a small street with kids and animals everywhere. The speed limit is 50km. There is even an elementry school on my street. People fly down my street going way faster than they should. It really ticks me off. There is no need. The street is not that long and they could kill someone or something all for the sake of getting to their house 30 seconds faster. I have been known to exceed the posted speed limit when I was younger or on the highway, but now I take extra care not to, especially in areas that are heavily populated. It won't matter if it is a child, a dog, or an adult, the end result of a speeding car will always be the same. Smarten up, think of others instead of yourself and SLOW DOWN!

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