Advocating for Automated Speed Control: Enhancing Safety on the Sea to Sky Highway
Once again, this has been a frustrating year for many travellers on the Sea to Sky Highway. Numerous highway closures have resulted in serious injuries, missed medical appointments, missed flights, missed ferries and delayed commercial deliveries.
In May alone, the Sea to Sky Highway was closed for many hours while investigators gathered crash data and highways maintenance crews cleaned up the aftermath of three serious crashes. We have to do something different because what we’re doing now isn’t effectively preventing crashes and suffering. Squamish resident Matthew Paugh understands this and took action recently by launching a Change.org petition demanding increased safety on the Highway.
ASOD pilot project on Sea to Sky Highway
In the late days of his term as the mayor of Lions Bay, Karl Buhr was pushing the provincial government to launch a pilot program to test a speed enforcement system called Average-Speed-Over-Distance (ASOD). He had the support of then-Mayor Patricia Heintzman in Squamish and Union of BC Municipalities members voted to support an ASOD pilot project.
ASOD systems involve the installation of cameras, speed calculation devices and signage in two separate locations. For example, infrastructure could be set up just south of Lions Bay and somewhere a few kilometres north of Lions Bay. Any vehicle determined to have travelled the portion of the highway too quickly will be identified and the owner of the vehicle will get a speeding ticket in the mail.
“Evidence from the locations where this program has been implemented show a drastic decline in speeding, serious accidents and fatalities,” wrote Buhr in the Lions Bay 2018 annual report.
The idea stalled as the two mayors returned to private life and the pandemic distracted everyone for a few years forcing us to step back from issues that weren’t related to figuring out how to deal with and get beyond COVID-19. The provincial government indicated a few years ago it didn’t support such a program and would be focused on traditional speed enforcement for Highway 99.
In light of the amount of time highway travellers spent parked on the highway in the first six months of 2023, it’s time once again to push the provincial government to implement ASOD to average out speeds and make the Sea to Sky safer. I’ve requested a meeting with the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth, to ask him to think again about implementing ASOD on the Sea to Sky Highway.
Some will argue ASOD is just a cash grab for governments. And, yes, it could be. But, it’s all up to drivers. Large signs announce these speed enforcement zones so every driver is aware of the ASOD system. Those choosing to ignore the speed limit will pay a fine. The idea is to make the road safer, not to collect millions of dollars of easy revenue. Research shows that widespread speed variations contribute to increased numbers of crashes. Averaging out speeds will bring the number down and reduce deaths, serious injuries and highway closures.
“It’s not the gotcha that we’ve been used to in B.C. This is in fact a fair and controlled approach to governing speeds in safety corridors for all drivers, all the time,” Buhr said in 2018. “It works where it’s been applied, Australia, many countries in Western Europe, and in Scotland, where after an initial teething period, the rate of compliance is around 95 percent.”
Anyone who has been caught in an hours-long Sea to Sky Highway closure knows how frustrating it is to be parked somewhere between Porteau and Tunnel Point watching the clock tick on a flight, a medical appointment or a golf course tee time.
John French is a second term councillor in the District of Squamish. He hopes to speak with Minister Farnworth at the annual Union of BC Municipalities Convention in September.
Rob says
Accident investigations for the sea to sky need to originate in Squamish immediately & not from somewhere in the lower mainland.
Matthew Paugh says
Part of the proposals are to have the resources for investigation in Squamish, instead of originating in Surrey.
As well, an IRSU so that one number is needed to place road related calls to police, rather than 4 different jurisdictions is part of it also. Please sign
David J Lassmann says
This was tried in the Lower Mainland but was abandoned because it was too unpopular. It turns out that people don’t like being monitored and sent traffic tickets by mail. As for the “Sea to Sky” highway, the vast majority of drivers normally exceed the speed limits, and almost all of them can vote in the next election.
Matthew Paugh says
Average speed cameras have not been tried in BC before. Point to points have. There is a difference.
If more people learned to use their cruise control and to enjoy the extra 6 minutes of driving they have to do by not speeding the world is a better place
David J Lassmann says
My point is that governments are reluctant to use such measures because they are unpopular with the voting public. I would say that almost all instances of speeding are deliberate. I think that most people speed on the highways because they are in a hurry or just like to drive fast. When was the last time you heard of an accident on Highway 99 being caused by mechanical failure?
Patricia says
Applause!! Ye please!
Michael says
Photo radar was very unpopular and became an election issue until it was finally abolished. Personally, I share a dislike for automated enforcement and I believe RCMP should step up their enforcement instead. I will vote against any municipal or provincial party/member supporting automated speed enforcement.
Jordan Sturdy says
“The assumption Mr. French is making is that driving in excess of posted speeds is the primary driver of accidents that cause highway closures. The data doesn’t back that up, in fact it doesn’t even make the top 3. From the 2018 Speed and Safety review data, driver inattention is far and away the greatest contributing factor, poor road conditions (snow, ice, slush, gravel) and driving too fast for road conditions round out the top 3 factors. Only 9% of accidents were determined to be caused by exceeding speed limits. Granted, this data is at least 5 years old and should be updated along with the current 85th percentile of actual speed data which is the speed that 85% of drivers are comfortable driving. Traffic engineers view this number as a speed that keeps traffic moving efficiently and with minimal speed differentials that can often be the source of driver frustration. The data suggests that the speed limits on both the Horseshoe Bay to Squamish segment and the Squamish Whistler segments are unrealistically low. The 2018 assessment identifies that the 85th percentile of the HSB-Squamish segment of 105kph+/- in an 80kph zone and Squamish-Whistler is about the same in a 90kph zone. If speed over distance enforcement was implemented with current speed limits, 90plus % of drivers would be receiving fines. Its past time to update the data, make recommendations based on current information and push Minister Farnsworth to better resource the Integrated Collision Reconstruction Service (ICARS) of the RCMP so when a serious accident does happen we are not waiting hours and hours for the investigation team just to show up. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/reports-and-reference/reports-and-studies/planning-strategy-economy/speed-review/rural-safety-and-speed-review-post-implementation-update-2018.pdf “