Getting up to Speed on the Safety and Speed Review

By now you may have heard of the public consultation about speed limits in British Columbia. What you may not have heard, though, is that these consultation sessions have been expanded to include more than just speed.

Speed Pic

Now being called the Rural Highway Safety and Speed Review, the consultation sessions are now underway, and they’re looking for public feedback on a range of safety-related topics.

Do you have opinions on any of the following?

If so, check out the Rural Highway Safety and Speed Review site for more information, and fill out the online form you’ll find there. You can also send an email to safetyandspeedreview@gov.bc.ca or write to:

P.O. Box 3522 Vancouver Main
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 3Y4
Call toll-free: 1 855 974-1330

If you’d rather provide your feedback in person, you can also attend one of eight open houses scheduled around the province:

  • Kamloops, December 3, 2013 (5:00pm-8:00pm, Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre, 1250 Rogers Way)
  • Kelowna, December 4, 2013 (5:00pm-8:00pm, Ramada Kelowna Hotel and Conference Centre, 2170 Harvey Avenue)
  • Prince George, January 7, 2014 (5:00pm-8:00pm, Prince George Ramada, 444 George Street)
  • Dawson Creek, January 8, 2014 (5:00pm-8:00pm, Best Western Dawson Creek, 500 Highway #2)
  • Vancouver, January 9, 2014 (5:00pm-8:00pm, SFU Segal Centre, 500 Granville Street)
  • Cranbrook, January 14, 2014 (5:00pm-8:00pm, Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort and Conference Center, 209 Van Horne Street)
  • Nanaimo, January 15, 2014 (5:00pm-8:00pm, Coast Bastion Inn, 11 Bastion Street)
  • Chilliwack, January 16, 2014 (5:00pm-8:00pm, Coast Chilliwack Hotel, 45920 First Avenue).

The consultation is covering a lot of different topics, but they all have a unifying theme: improving safety on B.C. highways. So let’s hear how you want to see that happen. Feel free to share any thoughts you have in the comment section below. Just be sure to also send them through the official channels outlined above to ensure your voice is heard as part of the consultation.

If you’re looking for another avenue to express your ideas and ask questions, @TranBC will be hosting a Twitter townhall (using the hashtag #BCSpeedReview) with Minister Todd Stone between 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on December 17. He’ll be taking questions about the key components of the Safety and Speed Review and we hope to see you there!

Page 1 of 9 comments on “Getting up to Speed on the Safety and Speed Review”

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  1. The posted speed should not be determined by what the public want, it should be determined by the geometry of the roads for the safety of the average driver. Most people drive 10 km over the limit without risk of a ticket and will continue to do so if posted limit increases. Novices and seniors will feel pressured to drive faster than they may be comfortable with. Kevin is obviously a very experienced driver and nailed it with his comment above.
    Tim

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  3. As a professional driver with over 2.5 million kms I see many problems with safety on the roads in Canada and the US daily. Most of these problems are due to the driving abilities and habits of the average driver. From driving way too fast for conditions, which include weather, traffic etc, to not dimming headlights, to no turn signals and following too close, the list goes on.
    The only reason that people want speed limits raised is so they can get where they are going faster. Although there may be an advantage in time, which is usually a very small amount, it has nothing to do with safety. The only safety concern is when someone does around the legal limit, they’re in the way of all the drivers that want to drive so fast. I guess majority may rule because they have got the ball rolling on the review process.
    Proper training and education are severely lacking in our society today and this is very apparent in driving habits.

    If the speed limits get raised on the signs, it will only be a matter of a short time before those limits aren’t fast enough for people either. Despite all “studies” done, NOTHING counts more than experience and first hand accounts of the way people drive.

    A suggestion I have is that if speed limits are raised to “satisfy” the majority of impatient people, then police enforcement should have less tolerance than they do now. Instead of “allowing” the 10-15kph over the limit they do now, reduce that to 2-5kph.

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