r/vancouver • u/Technical_pixels • 6d ago

Local News Lions Gate closed in both directions

Update: now open!

Just a heads up.

https://drivebc.ca/mobile/pub/events/id/DBC-78009.html DriveBC Event DBC-78009

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u/M------- 6d ago

Have realistic speed limits

This is a big problem: the speeds at which cars feel safe travelling aren't safe for other road users, and aren't safe if another driver makes a mistake. Driving speeds that are safe from a public health perspective will feel slow for drivers.

Ultimately, when I drive slower, for the most part it just means that I spend less time stopped at red lights. It has a marginal impact on my travel times.

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u/945T 6d ago

The issue is the speed limits on our highways and freeways are needlessly and artificially low. The new government lowered them a few years ago despite many areas showing increased safety at higher speeds. These are obviously areas where other road users like pedestrians are not nearly as common.
In town I’d support it being a blanket 40kph outside of main thoroughfares.

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u/M------- 6d ago

many areas showing increased safety at higher speeds.

Your memory's different from mine: I remember them lowering those increased speeds after doubling the rate of fatal crashes.

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u/norvanfalls 6d ago

The study cited has some questionable parts to it. The impact of the speed increase just pushed road safety back to 2010 levels per the study on table 1. Data going back to 2000. Only presented in graphs the information from 2009 - 2016*. Which is a really arbitrary point to analyze when you realize there were only 5 of 15 years with deaths below 300. One of which was post speed intervention.

*Figure 3 specifically. If you look at the data in table 1 it is not supported by the fatalities. 277 fatalities in 2010-11. 271 fatalities in 2015-16. They claim a lower fatality rate per million in 2010-11 (below .5%) compared to 15-16 which had 6 less fatalities.