This Page Last updated May 4, 2007

Proper Solutions to Road Safety

Re-engineer Dangerous Intersections:

Re-engineering is the proper response to most traffic problems, unlike enforcement the effects are permanent.  AAA of Michigan in conjunction with the local government re-engineered four problem intersections at a cost of about $35,000(usd) each.  Some of the changes that were made:  increased signal lens sizes, retimed the lights (including ambers), removed  obstructions and painted bolder lane lines.  The Results: 47% decrease in crashes and a 50% reduction in red light violations.  RLC's show a decrease in violation over time often in the 30-50% range but show little or no improvement in safety.  It is obvious that reengineering the intersection provided superior results.    Winnipeg's photo enforcement program is expected to rake in 56 million dollars during its first 5 years.  If this money where used to reengineer intersections it is likely that all 690 intersections in Winnipeg could be reengineered with these improvements including computerization of the signal timing. 

Road Maintenance and Improvements:

Our roads and related infrastructure is in brutal condition.  At least the latest crop of politicians seem to be aware of this and are starting to do something.  I for one hope there is more to come as our roads are so far behind on general maintenance that it will take 20 plus years just to catch up to where we should be. 

While this is being done adding simple things like turn lanes and merge lanes will help both traffic flow and reduce collisions.  All that needs to be done then is to teach Winnipeg drivers what to do with a merge lane!

Properly Posted Speed Limits:

It is the difference in speed between the fastest vehicles and the slowest that is the biggest problem.  Uniform speeds reduces the chance of a collision to begin with and reduce the damage if one does occur.   Speed limits should be set using the 85th percentile method.  Winnipeg has many major streets with arbitrarily low speed limits of 50kmh.  There is no rime or reason and no necessity for this either.  If you look at the streets the city can't claim it is because of a school, shopping area, or even residential area, as these excuses are often contradicted further down the same road.  Worse yet, speed studies done by the city show many of these roads should be posted higher (most often 60kmh) yet they have not and are heavily monitored by Photo enforcement.  Winnipeg needs a consistent engineered approach to setting speed limits. 

Driver Education:

The province of Manitoba can do a lot by strengthen the drive education program.   While the instructors teach the basics, I think they should go one further to basic car maintenance like checking fluids, tire pressures.  Then they should add on defensive driving course to teach things like crash avoidance and skid control which at present is not included in a regular drivers education courses.  The recent introduction of graduated drivers licenses may be a good start but it should be evaluated in 5 years to see if it is making a difference.  There is some evidence that programs like this do not help as it reduces the amount of practice a new driver gets and just delays or spreads out the existing pattern of high collision rates among new drivers.

Consider some type of retesting program for all other drivers.  Drivers up to 70 years old are retested every 7 years and over 70 people are tested every 5 years, so other type of idea. 

Unconfident drivers of any age, are driving well under the speed limit should be identified and ticketed or sent for retraining as an extremely slow driver is more likely to be involved in a collision then a driver that is going the same amount over the limit (see section on speed enforcement)

Problem Roads and Intersections:  Send us location that need improvements

Grant Ave.  between Stafford and Keneston: Under posted.  This 50kmh zone is under posted and should be a 60kmh zone.  It is a major route,  with clean lines of site.   The argument that it is a residential area or that there is a school doesn't wash as further down the same street where it is posted at 60kmh there are more schools and high density housing.

Provencher Ave.: Under posted.  This major boulevard is wide open with mostly business and minimal residential units.  The city has already acknowledged that this road should be posted at 60kmh.  But do to the bungled handling of the speed increase the speed remains under posted and heavily enforce by both a intersection camera and often photo radar less then a block further down the street.

Pembina Hwy - St. Norbert: Under posted.  This Section of Pembina is wide open with no residential units directly on the road.  It is presently posted at mere 50kmh.  This section of Pembina is out side the perimeter hwy and should be posted with a 60kmh or 70kmh speed limit.   The section past the Le Salle river to approximately Turnbull drive is posted at 60kmh, as this section is really past any development it should be posted much higher at 80kmh or more.

Ebby At Harrow and at Stafford:  Traffic lights.  For some unknown reason there are traffic lights at these two intersections.  I travel this section of road quite often and even at rush hour there seems to be little need.  Remove these light altogether or at least retime them so they only function during rush hour.

Academy west bound from Keneston: Parking.  Due to parking along Academy the traffic backs up from the route 90 exit and drives choose to avoid the congestion  and take a residential street instead.  The problem is so bad that on several streets the city has in stalled large speed bumps to deter and slow traffic.   Academy has a high flow rate east bound during the evening rush hour, to keep the vehicles on the Academy (where they should be) and out of the residential street simple ban parking during rush hour.

Jubilee at Pembina interchange: Traffic lights.  Every morning Jubilee gets backed up several blocks.  Half of the travel time from St.Vital to Polo Park area is spent in the half kilometer section of road.  Yet most days one you get on to Pembina north bound the traffic is very light with no congestion.   Lengthen the Green Light!

Chevrier Blvd. West of railway tracks:  (submitted by George )  This section of Chevrier is under posted at 50kph and should be increased. West of the tracks there is no residential, only commercial with little or no pedestrian traffic.  Clarence Ave. which runs parallel (to the north of Chevrier) is a mixture of residential and commercial and there is also is the Ray Fennel Park situated on this street. The posted limit is there is 60kph.