Ontario looking to lower the speed limit

Anthony Sheardown

February 6, 2015

The province of Ontario is considering lowering the speed limit on secondary roads from 50 km to 40 km.

There will be a debate whether to lower the limit to 40 km, keep it at 50 km or let communities decide on their own speed limits. Lowering school zones to 30 km will also be discussed.

Lowering the speed limit could cost Windsor $100,000 to redo all of the road signs in the city said Windsor’s executive director of operations, Mark Winterton.

“I think it’s a bad idea. I understand where the provincial government is coming from and where it might be a good idea, but I also think the problem doesn’t lie in where the speed limit is but more with the drivers of vehicles,” said Jarret Sorko, a 23-year-old Windsorite.

One reason people approve lowering the speed limit is for safety. Other people say there are other ways that bad driving can be prevented.

“I feel it’s too easy to get a license in Ontario. If we want to protect the roads, we need to better educate drivers and create a better program for how you get your license. I personally feel there are too many people on the roads that shouldn’t be,” said Sorko.

Some citizens feel that this is just another way for the government to generate more revenue. Ben Orlando, 21, of Windsor thinks the Ontario government is targeting drivers unfairly.

“There are drivers who drive 60 km in a 50 km zone. By lowering the posted from 50 km to 40 km it would make driving 60 km, a speed people are used to going an offence with a hefty ticket and demerit point loss,” said Orlando. “This seems to be the Ontario government’s way of recouping costs they’ve spent.”

Orlando said lowering the speed limit is a way for insurance companies to profit more money from demerit point loss of driver’s licenses’. When driving 15 km or more over the speed limit a demerit is taken off your license which will make insurance more expensive. Jacob St. Pierre, 21, said that he thinks it is definitely safer to drive faster. St. Pierre said people pay more attention when they are speeding.

Other local media poles have shown that the majority of people do not want the speed limit to be reduced.