President's Perspective

Ontario's road safety record for 2000 was the best in Canada. The Canada Safety Council warned the government that raising speed limits would put this impressive safety record at risk.

Fatal crashes rise with speed limits. As speed increases over 100 km/h, the survival rate for vehicle occupants drops dramatically. The chances of being killed in a vehicle travelling at 120 km/h are four times higher than at 100 km/h.

Proponents of higher speed limits ignore several critical factors:

• The impact on safety and insurance rates due to well-documented higher risks.
• Enforcement capabilities: Will "Zero Tolerance" apply? Will the new speed limit be equally enforced in both rural and urban sections of the highway?
• The needs of older drivers: Drivers over 80 are the fastest growing segment of Ontario's driving population.
• The increase in older vehicles on the road.
• The risk involved in catching high-speed offenders - unacceptable to both the police and the public.

An overwhelming body of evidence shows speed increases the likelihood and severity of a crash. The bottom line is that raising highway speed limits is a bad idea.

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