Are the major intersections on Highway 99 through Squamish accident magnets?
If we look at crash statistics, the quick answer is yes. The next question is what can be done to remedy the problem?
Between 2001 and 2013, there were 278 collisions at those junctions and the usual suspects were speed, driver distraction and road conditions. Rarely mentioned are two other factors: inadequate signage and the lack of traffic enforcement mechanisms.
After reviewing the collision stats, Mayor Patricia Heintzman said, “It seems like a lot of lip service is given and not a lot of action. I think we were certainly under the impression that things, in terms of the analysis, had moved forward a lot more than it actually had.”
Last year, a traffic safety study focusing on the Cleveland Avenue/Highway 99 intersection revealed that junction averaged nearly 50 collisions annually between 2011 and 2015. A range of options were proposed, including the construct of an eastbound-southbound right-turn lane and increased U-turn and speed enforcement by the RCMP.
Although the highway speed limit through Squamish is 70 kilometres an hour, few drivers adhere to that parameter and they do so with near impunity. Without a more consistent police presence that will continue to be the case. As well, strategically located signs bearing the warning “Drive carefully, high-collision zone ahead” would be a step in the right direction.
On the international stage, enhanced signage has been touted as a useful collision prevention measure. In 2013, the Road Safety Foundation in the U.K. reported that improving existing signage, or setting up new signs, significantly reduced accidents and decreased fatalities on roadways where those initiatives were undertaken.
Another effective option is the installation of red-light cameras at key locations. A number of studies have shown traffic signal violation rates can decrease significantly within a few months after cameras are installed. The City of Ottawa will be introducing 20 new red-light cameras at high-collision intersections by the end of this year. A similar program in Saskatoon has reduced injury rates in one area of the city by 45 per cent.
But south of the border red-light cameras have had mixed success. According to a study conducted in Chicago, where the largest such program in the U.S. is underway, moderate T-bone crashes decreased while rear-ender collisions went up when drivers hit the brakes to avoid red light camera generated tickets.
Meanwhile, in B.C. red-light cameras are now operational in 140 of the highest-risk intersections. Ticket revenue is distributed among all municipalities to enhance policing and community-based public safety programs.
With summer approaching it’s time to move past the study and analysis stage. Activating some of the recommendations mentioned above will go a long way towards minimizing vehicular hazards that have plagued this community for far too long.
