Slow down! Driving fast increases your risk of collisions

Whether you’re late for an appointment or work, rushing to pick up your kids from school or trying to get home to catch the game…speeding isn’t the answer. The faster a car moves, the higher its risk of being involved in a collision. Speeding is one of the biggest contributors to collisions on Mississauga roadways, which can cause fatal or life-changing injuries. The City of Mississauga is reminding drivers to be aware of the posted speed limits and obey the rules of the road.

“The faster you drive, the longer it takes for you to stop,” said Geoff Wright, Commissioner, Transportation and Works. “Driving fast reduces your time to think and react to an unexpected situation. Imagine driving, and a child darting out onto the road. If you were speeding, could you stop in time? This could mean the difference between life, death or a life-changing injury. This is why we’re focusing on addressing speeding in Mississauga to keep residents safe. The City has adopted the Vision Zero goal, which aims to eliminate all fatalities and serious injuries on roadways due to collisions.”

According to data from Peel Regional Police, between 2015 to 2019, approximately 700 serious collisions were caused by aggressive driving, including speeding, on City-owned roads in Mississauga.

“Driving 20 km/h faster than the posted speed limit might not seem like a big deal, but research shows that if you hit a pedestrian while driving 50 km/h, their survival rate is less than 20 per cent. In comparison, at 30 km/h, their survival rate is 90 per cent,” said Laura Zeglen, Program Lead, Vision Zero. “As a driver, you control how fast you drive. Remember, driving the posted speed limit and to weather conditions is not only for your safety, but also the safety of others on the road.”

According to the Transportation Association of Canada, the maximum speed to prevent serious injury or death in an impact with a pedestrian is 30 km/h. The maximum speed to prevent serious injury or death in a collision with another car is 50 km/h.

The City is working with its community partners to address speeding to raise awareness about the dangers of speeding, educate drivers on slowing down and inform the public about new measures to slow down drivers. Here are some of the measures which have been implemented to prevent speeding and protect vulnerable road users including pedestrians and cyclists:

• Installed speed humps or raised pedestrian crossings
• Rotated 22 speed cameras to different school zone locations
• Lowered speed limits in neighbourhoods, school zones and City-owned roadways posted at 70 km/h

To learn more about how the City is encouraging drivers to slow down and other Vision Zero initiatives and actions, visit mississauga.ca/visionzero.

If you see a vehicle involved in dangerous and aggressive behaviour, you can report it to Peel Regional Police’s Road Watch program online: https://www.peelpolice.ca/en/report-it/make-a-report-online.aspx#What-types-of-reports-can-I-file-online

Background

Vision Zero aims to create safer roads for everyone in Mississauga. In 2021, the City of Mississauga launched its Vision Zero Action Plan with 99 actions to help reach Vision Zero. Vision Zero is a long-term goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries due to collisions on roadways that countries around the world have adopted. The plan provides City staff with actions to apply to their current, ongoing and future projects to help reach Vision Zero.

Tags

• Public Safety
• Roads and Traffic
• Transportation