Ontario Highway 10 safety concerns come into the spotlight following fatal crash
Ontario Highway 10 has seen renewed calls for safety improvements following a devastating week of crashes.
Last week, a section of Highway 10 in the Peel area and Dufferin County was closed, resulting in three fatalities in four days.
OPP Central Region Chief Superintendent Dwight Peer said 2022 saw a significant increase in the number of clashes his officers handled across the region.
“Compared to last year, there has been a 55% increase in clashes,” Pia said in a Nov. 7 update on social media.
“In just 10 days from 28 October, police officers in the central region investigated 11 serious road collisions, eight of which were fatal.”
Three of these eight fatalities occurred on Highway 10 in Ontario. This included his three-vehicle collision between 10th and his 15th side road north of Orangeville, Dufferin County, Ontario, in which he died on Halloween of a 59-year-old man. Did.
Two days later, on November 2, on Highway 10 near Boston Mills Road in Caledon, the male driver was killed when two cars collided between a sedan and a shipping truck.
The next day, another driver was killed when two vehicles, a passenger car and a commercial vehicle, collided on Highway 10 near Beechgrove Side Road in Caledon.
Residents see Route 10 as a dangerous road
CityNews spoke to outgoing Caledon town councilor Ian Sinclair.
“Parents in one residential quadrant have to drive their children to the next quadrant and go play with other children,” Sinclair said by phone. .
“Don’t let them cross the road on their own.”
Sinclair also outlined the impact of repeated severe highway crashes on community members.
“We have volunteer firefighters here who have to be the first to rush to the scene and use their life jaws to cut people out of cars,” Sinclair added.
“So it’s a huge psychological burden for them. As one of our volunteer firefighters told me — you see what you can’t see…we’re not full-time professional firefighters here. We’re not responding to these incidents.” There are a lot of locals who do, and it’s pretty hard.”
Local lawmakers say more needs to be done
CityNews also spoke with Caledon City Councilor Lynn Kiernan. Highway 10 runs through Ward 1 in Caledon, and Keenan has served on her council since 2018.
She led discussions with the Ontario Department of Transportation (MTO) to further improve safety on state-owned highways.
“The MTO and the state are not on the road. They don’t live there. So I see it as my responsibility to bring them to their attention,” Keenan told City News by phone.
“The changes I have seen on Highway 10 — volume, driver behavior, speed — are frankly extraordinary. Truck mass has increased dramatically and will continue to do so.”
Keenan said he wanted some changes, including the installation of red light cameras, but fell short of advocating adding a Jersey barrier between the opposite lanes.
“We asked for a slowdown, which is important. I think we need to slow down in certain areas,” Keenan said.
“Is jersey barrier the right way to go? I don’t know if the community will invest in it.”
MTO has pledged to work with local governments along State Highway 10
The MTO told CityNews in an email that it thought of the families of those killed in the recent crash on Highway 10 and pledged to continue the investigation with the Ontario Police Department (OPP). It also said it is actively cooperating with local governments to improve road safety.
“We have been working with the town of Caledon to improve overall safety for drivers on the highway, working with local councilors and mayors,” the ministry said.
“We recently completed a review of the Highway 10 intersection on the Olde Base Line Road.”
The MTO also outlined some actions already being taken to address highway safety concerns.
“Following the review, the MTO will install 13 public education signs along the highway, add solar-powered flashing beacons and ‘Be prepared to stop’ before the intersection of Olde Base Line Road. added,” MTO told CityNews.
“We have also increased the amount of time before lights turn yellow and strengthened road signs across lanes approaching intersections to allow more vehicles to safely cross intersections.”
Alderman Keenan said these changes were brought about by community advocacy and he was happy to see some progress, but more needs to be done. also said.
“In my opinion, nothing beats personal safety. That is why we need to find technical improvements and I will continue to advocate for that. Another aspect is enforcement and cooperation with OPP partners. I will continue to work with them to find a solution there as well.It’s a complex problem,” said Kiernan.
“We are happy to have MTO back and acknowledge that some things have been done, but much more needs to be done.”
Ontario Highway 10 safety concerns come into the spotlight following fatal crash
Source link Ontario Highway 10 safety concerns come into the spotlight following fatal crash
