Policy Driving speed reduction

Issue: Pedestrian injuries

In Canada, 12 children from birth to 14 years were killed in pedestrian incidents in 2022. On average, there are about 950 child pedestrian injuries nationally each year.

Problem: Speeding and pedestrian safety

Unfortunately, speeding is common in Canada. Speeding is a contributing factor in one in four fatal crashes on Canadian roadways.

According to a 2023 national survey of driving-age Canadians conducted by Parachute and Ipsos:

• 86 per cent perceive that exceeding the speed limit in a school zone is dangerous.
• 80 per cent would like an increased focus on catching unsafe drivers.
• More than half say they’ve felt unsafe as a passenger because of the driver’s speed.
• Half of drivers say they’ve been ticketed for speeding.

Children are twice as likely to be struck by a car in areas with speed limits over 50 km/h. 

Solution: Speed reduction

Changing physical environments

Physical changes or barriers can discourage speeding and have a significant impact on the number and severity of pedestrian-related crashes.

Traffic calming measures reliably reduce pedestrian injury. Traffic calming measures include:

• Speed bumps
• Road narrowing
• Adding pedestrian islands or curb extensions (bulbouts)

Communities more conducive to walking have fewer pedestrian injuries. These communities have environments that promote walking by making routes attractive (e.g., trees and trails) and safe (e.g., sidewalks and crosswalks).

Increased pedestrian numbers also heighten driver awareness, which can result in speed reduction and fewer pedestrian injuries.

Recent studies have shown that trees also reduce speed. They shield pedestrians from moving into traffic, while clearly defining the roadway edge. Tree-lined streets can help drivers to visually assess, and consequently reduce, their speed.

Changing attitudes and behaviours

Drivers cannot accurately determine their own speed while they are driving and, as a consequence, may not slow down when they see people.

Alerting drivers when they are speeding can be very useful. According to Transport Canada, 72 per cent of Canadian drivers endorse roadside warning signs that tell them when they are speeding. A combination of speed cameras and fines can enforce speed limits in residential areas and school zones.

One study found that when warning signs, cameras and police are in place, the number of vehicles travelling more than 10 km/h over the speed limit dropped by 62 per cent.

Enforcement

Automated speed enforcement (ASE) systems, such as speed cameras, are proving to be an effective strategy for speed reduction. Research demonstrates that ASE systems:

• Reduce speed by up to 14 km/h. ASE systems reduce speed in both low-speed settings, such as school-zones, and high-speed settings, such as highways.
• Reduce motor vehicle crashes in the area of the camera by up to 50 per cent and reduce serious and fatal injury by up to 44 per cent.
• Are a cost-effective intervention, with cost to benefit ratios exceeding 10:1.