Kinda torn on these things.
- It's bad street design that makes people speed in the first place
- These tickets will cause people to slow down
- The city has cause of abuse to increase revenue
Kinda torn on these things.
I've gotten 3 fucking tickets for doing ~10 over. So, I've decided that when I drive into Ottawa, I'm doing the speed limit. That's it. I don't care that people do 10% over and I'm holding up traffic.
There's a lot more cops watching the highway too. Doing 120 in a 100? You're good. 68 in a 60? Photo ticket.
Got to lower the speed limit to 30 km/h on more streets to increase survival when crashes do happen
It's not about speed limits, it's about the drivers' perception of the road, where drivers will reduce their speeds on narrower, more chaotic streets.
The posted speed limit only dictates the penalties, not the actual travel speed.
Example: LaSalle, Montreal, there's Saint-Patrick street by the canal that has 3 lanes on both sides, completely deserted, businesses on one side with a narrow concrete median. It's posted as a 40. Everyone goes 70 because it's a wide, uninterrupted stretch of road with great visibility and no obstacles, however the posted speed limit is there as large trucks drive in and out of nearby businesses.
It should be reduced to 1 lane per side + turning lane in the middle, the side walls should be made wider to take up the rest of the street, and trees on the side to create a tunnel effect. Notre-Dame on the other side of the canal has a similar issue, but it isn't as bad. There's still one too many lanes, however.
Challenge every one of them and pick the trial option. 10 over gives you no option to plead guilty to a lesser charge because there isn't one, so no reason not to take the trial option. If you want to have some real fun, bring a Charter 11B challenge to court when they can't try you for 4+ years. Worst case, you still pay the 2024 set fine in ~2028 dollars, but when they have to start deciding between using court time for trying criminals or speeders, they will rethink the whole system.
Drivers are so used to speeding, that consequences feel unfair. Just drive at it below the limit and there's no problem.
It would nice if the streets/roads were designed appropriately to naturally guide people to lower speeds. When you have a straight, wide road, people are naturally inclined to go faster.
You're not wrong.
Another reason to stay out of the city.
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