Speed

Canadian drivers seem to agree that speeding is a dangerous action. It increases the possibility of collision, injury and death on our highways. However, most drivers have a fairly elastic view of how the speed limits apply to themselves with the majority (7 in 10) reporting that they occasionally exceed the speed limit. Regardless, there is significant public support for anti-speeding measures.

Section control is a method of speed enforcement involving a series of cameras installed over a stretch of road. An image and data are recorded for each vehicle as they enter and leave two points in the system (a section of road).

This case concerns the appeal of a speeding ticket that Cecil Lambert received after being measured with radar travelling at 126 km/h in the posted 90 km/h speed zone. This occurred on Highway 16 near Terrace. He disputed that ticket.

"Speed management is a significant challenge for most communities. This is particularly true for small, rural communities where the main roadway through the town serves a dual role.

Speed has been identified as a key risk factor in road traffic injuries, influencing both the risk of a road traffic crash as well as the severity of the injuries that result from crashes. For instance, pedestrians have a 90% chance of survival if hit by a car traveling at a speed of 30km/h or below, but less than a 50% chance of surviving an impact of 45km/h or above.

This is my favourite anti-speeding video! It was an Australian television commercial produced for the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales. I use it regularly to try to get people to think about why taking 10 km/h above the posted limit is not a good decision when things go wrong.