Tag Archives: speeding

The Need For Speed

16 Thursday Oct 2025

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We’re having a little bit of an upset in Ontario at the moment, surrounding that bête noir, speed cameras.

The Province’s Premier, the one in charge, says that speed cameras are nothing but a cash-grab and that he’s going enact legislation to make them unusable. This in a Province where speed limits seem to be merely suggestions and efforts to curb speed (and therefore improve road safety) are at best, minimal.

I learned to drive in a country where speed cameras are used extensively, namely the UK. When I go back, which seems to be quite often these days, I’m immediately aware of the speed discipline that drivers employ; in Ontario the speed limit seems to be the absolute minimum, in the UK they are generally abided by, and plenty of people drive well within the limit. Tellingly, there are twice the number of cars in the UK than there are in Canada, but only half as many injuries and fatalities on the roads. From this we can reasonably deduce that speed cameras are, at least in part, a boon to road safety. So why is Ontario so against something that will aid road safety?

It’s political. That’s about the strength of it. Speeding is a curse in Ontario, and you’ll regularly read about drivers cussing one another out because they were driving at the speed limit and not some speed well north of it. “Hand your license in if you can’t do 20 over” is a common refrain from the speeding fraternity. It seems that posted speed limits impinge on people’s personal freedom to drive at whatever speed they like, and hang the road safety implications because, “Hey, I’m a good driver!”. Our politicians see this expression of personal freedom as a vote winner and are being aggressive in reducing what they see as limitations of drivers in the hope of winning over, or at least retaining, the support of the supposedly put-upon drivers of the Province. People who are killed or injured speeding? Pfffft. It’s eerily reminiscent of the argument for gun ownership in the US, death and injury seems to be an acceptable price for personal freedom.

I’m at a bit of a loss to follow this logic. Drivers can’t be trusted to obey posted limit signs, so why would a responsible government not put in place a cheap and effective method of control? It’s only a cash-grab if you speed, and is so easily avoidable, but it also comes with a free side order of road safety, so what’s not to love?

I guess it will take the death or injury of a politician’s loved one, or a large number of ordinary people, for things to change, which is really a very sad state of affairs for the twenty-first century. In the meantime I will drive to the limits, avoid any cash-grabs (if there are any left), and hope that no one in orbit get hurt by a speeding driver. What a life.

Why The Hurry?

24 Wednesday Jul 2024

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I was reminded again this afternoon of just how much some people are in too much of a hurry when they’re driving. I had to make a right, on a red light, onto LaCroix Street, but to my left is a bridge. When I’m looking to see if the way is clear, I get about 100 metres of clear sight before the road dips down on the other side of the bridge. That 100m or so should be ample for me to pull out into the road when I can’t see another vehicle approaching from my left. But, and it’s a big but, if the approaching vehicle isn’t speeding. Sadly, they nearly always are. I looked left today, could see no vehicle approaching, so made my move. A quick glance in the mirror as I made the turn and there was a blue car bearing down on me at a rate of knots. No worries, I’m in my lane, but why did the driver of the blue car feel the need to come hurtling over the bridge like that? The car was something anonymous, but it had a personalized licence plate and the driver was a young woman bobbing around in her seat, hopefully to some music. She passed me, but less than 200m ahead I passed her again as we both drew to a stop at the next set of lights.

Quite possibly because I’m officially a Senior these days, and I’m retired, but I genuinely don’t see why everyone is rushing around. The young woman in the blue car gained nothing by driving so fast, and I crossed Richmond Street before her, despite my sticking to the 50Kph speed limit, so what was the point? You see it all the time with people make risky passes on ordinary roads, only for me to come right up behind them at the next set of lights. I absolutely do not get the rushing around when 99% of the time there is absolutely no benefit to speeding and taking unnecessary risks.

I’m certain that people who encounter me on the road cuss and curse me because I don’t generally exceed the speed limit. They’ll call me grandad, and get seriously bent out of shape because they perceive that I’m driving too slowly. Maybe I did when I was younger, although I don’t really remember if I was a one to hurry, even when riding my motorcycle in London.

Anyway, I will continue to drive in an unhurried manner. I will stay aware of people who are in a hurry (even though I know what they do is pointless), and I will keep up with the flow of traffic, up to the posted speed limit, at least. If everyone did that then there’d be far fewer road collisions.

That last sentence reminds me of the fellow who made a Facebook post claiming that he’d been stopped by the cops for driving at the speed limit, and asked why he wasn’t doing at least ten over. If that happened then I’m a Dutchman’s uncle.

Driving On The Freeway

28 Thursday Sep 2023

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Or “Why Does Nobody Know How To Drive?”

We had occasion to drive along the lovely King’s Highway, better known as Highway 401, today, between Tilbury and Manning Road in Windsor. It’s Ontario’s primary motorway/freeway/autoroute and has a fearful reputation.

Down here at its western end it’s not so bad, though, with three lanes in each direction between Tilbury and Windsor, and relatively light traffic when compared to that in the Greater Toronto Area. However, the wide open spaces do not good drivers make.

Speed has always been an issue. The limit of 100 KpH means to everyone, including the Police, you should drive at a minimum of 120 KpH in reality. Where the limit is 110, then read 130. It’s not really policed seriously, unless you feel like doing 150+, then you may get caught.

Then there’s tailgating, driving too close to the rear of the vehicle ahead of you, which appears to be more popular in Ontario than hockey. That minimum 4 second safety gap is normally 0.4 seconds on the 401, and I’m really not exaggerating.

Today, though, was the day of the left lane cruisers. So many do not appear to know or understand, on a three lane road, that only the right-side lane is the driving lane, and that the other two are passing lanes only; that’s the law. I get it that you might end up in the centre lane for a while if there are too many trucks in the right lane, but today we had car after car cruising along a near-empty road in the left lane. Certainly, they’re only holding each other up and not doing too much harm, but why do they do it? It seems the height of stupidity to me. Mind you, at least some of those left lane cruisers were keeping to the 401’s unofficial 0.4 second gap rule.

It’s long been my contention that driving education and testing in Ontario is sadly lacking. Indeed, the two kids’ driving instructors both imparted incorrect information to their students, one about speed and one about making left turns. If the instructors don’t know, there’s not much hope. As a former instructor, and tester, myself I speak from a position of knowledge.

All that said, if everyone did as they should when driving, what would I have to complain about?

** An after publication edit. Why do so many people visiting from the United States feel that it’s OK to drive at 130 KpH on a Canadian road with a 100 KpH limit? It seems disrespectful to me.