You Say No To Highway Speed Increases
Monday, October 21, 2013 @ 3:56 AM
While it can be argued that surveys in which you log in and post your thoughts are not scientific, in the latest poll taken by 250News just shy of 10,000 people responded in one week , and with that number you have to take notice.
We wanted to know your opinion on changing speed limits.
Of 9,978 who took part in the survey 59.5% of them said no to speed limits being increased on highways 97 and 16. Of those who said yes, only 34.4% , (3434) gave an unqualified yes. The balance attached conditions to their approval of boosting speed limits. Some said yes but only during daylight hours, some said yes but not in the winter, and a further 4.2% said only on straight stretches.
It is an interesting result in that one would have thought that generally, drivers wanted the speed limit increased, but not so in our examination. We have a system now in which the police will, generally, let you go as fast as 118 kilometers an hour in a 100 zone before you get a ticket as long as you are not weaving in and out of the traffic, the road conditions are good, and the section of the highway can handle that kind of speed. We have come to expect 110 kilometers as the minimum limit that is the bench mark for a speeding ticket, so in fact we already have increases in speed limits.
Is there a fear that if,for example, increase the limit on 16 and 97 to 110 that traffic will be moving at 125-130 before fear of getting pulled over?
The discretion at this juncture on the highway is left up to the individual police officer, but generally on 97 and 16 most traffic is traveling above the posted limit.
Foothills and the Hart are prime examples of what really is the accepted speed limit , the speeds may be posted but the traffic generally moves well over the limit posted. Is that the driving force behind those that say No to an increase in speed limits, it is a fear of what comes with it?
I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.
Comments
I wounder how many,who voted,drive ion the highway.
Not in favor of increasing speeds. The limit gets increased and you will have people driving well above average of the speed limit.
Example:
-Speed limit is 100km/h and people already drive around 120km/h.
-If you increase the limit. to say 110km/h people will be driving 130-140km/h. Just drive the highways in Alberta or in BC where the limit is 110km/h and you will see where im coming from.
Story aside, I don’t bother with online polls because they are so easily manipulated. Someone in another thread admitted to voting multiple times on the topic and proudly said there were no restrictions against doing so.
The votes should be restricted to logged in users only and only one vote per registered user. Then you’d at least get a somewhat fairer picture.
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