Let's not get too secure with Canadian moral superiority

[jsburbidge]

 The City of Toronto records more than 40 pedestrian fatalities in motor vehicle collisions per year. By comparison, there were 39 gun-related homicides in 2017. That's right, motor vehicles kill more people than guns in Toronto, though in about the same range. 

 

The slower a motor vehicle goes, the more minor the injuries in a pedestrian collision. Notably, 50 kph is regularly fatal or disabling, whereas 30 kph is normally recoverable. 

 

Both the city's chief medical officer and chief coroner have proposed that default speed limits be reduced to 30/40 kph (residential/main streets). There are two ways to do this: posting limits all over the city (which requires money) or asking the province for the authority to change the default limit within the city boundaries. 

 

Toronto / East York local council has already moved in this direction with some local speed restrictions. Some councillors oppose it, primarily from the suburban set - Minnan-Wong being a notable example. 

 

Let me restate that: there are a significant number of councillors who privilege some minor convenience by their car-using constituents over saving lives. 

 

This is morally equivalent to the USAn politicians who continue to enable gun violence because their constituencies would feel inconvenienced by not being able to have easy access to assault weapons. The scale isn't equivalent, but it's essentially the same trade-off. 

Comments

[chickenfeet]

There's a group on city council who can reasonably be described as "car nuts". Rob Ford was their chief spokesperson. Now it's Minnan-Wong or Mammoliti. Sadly Tory is far too inclined to listen to them. They regularly sabotage speed limits, initiatives to improve transit and cycling infrastructure. It's compounded by extremely selective enforcement of traffic regulations by the largely suburban based stormtroopers.

[dewline]

That's going to be a continuing problem. Hoping we don't have too much of the like in Ottawa and Gatineau as well.

[conuly]

Hate to say, but we have the same problem here as well. So it's morally equivalent to USA politicians who continue to enable cars etc, which still puts you ahead of us. That's a sorry picture.