# Introduction

Per the World Health Organization, “Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years.” The severity of pedestrian injuries/risk of fatalities in a front-on MVI (Motor Vehicle Incident) is largely dependent on speed: at 50kph the fatality rate is a shocking 80%; at 30kph the fatality rate decreases dramatically to 10%1.

Vision Zero2 a multi-national traffic safety initiative based on the philosophy that no one should be killed or seriously injured on the road is growing in popularity. One of the most effective and cheapest methods of road safety is reducing speed limits on local rural roads. Effective earlier this month, Duncan has set 30kph as the default speed limit unless otherwise signed, with connector roads at 40kph3

Is a change of the speed limit enough? Effective? After studies of jurisdictions that have done this show it is effective - a 17-20% reduction in injury crashes in downtown Seattle after they reduced speed limits by 5mph 4. US Department of Transport states "... a singular focus on speeding ignores the impact that even high, legal speeds can have on safety, since human injury tolerance can be exceeded even when drivers comply with the legal speed limit."5. Will people still speed? Almost certainly. But speeding 10k over the speed limit and doing 40kph is dramatically different risk level than doing 10 over and driving 60kph. Could other things be done? Absolutely. However, lowering and signing speed limits is the easiest and cheapest action yet is broadly shown to work.

# Updates

Moving to an East Sooke wide focus

East Sooke Map
Date

It took a while - especially with summer holidays and a fall election - but discussions with CRD Directors Al Wickheim & Paul Brent where much more productive. The conclusion is that it is best to approach this as a community wide issue rather than a single neighbourhood. So, onwards...

Stalling out with MOTI

Date

Despite, a fair degree of communication and politely worded, the final answer from MOTI is essentially "that isn't in our normal procedure go pound sand", but maybe one day. With a slight hint that a direct request from the CRD would have more weight but likely be short term ignored as well.

Back to Politics... Road Safety

Nick with Wiliiam and a bag of garbage he picked up along the road
Date

Been extremely out of active politics basically since the Langford - Juan de Fuca by-election. Extremely good reason and all but great to be getting back into active politics. Got a new reason to be majorly engaged too - a son - so now have a moral duty to try to make things better. First on my list right now is road safety.

# East Sooke

East Sooke is predominantly a few secondary roads (East Sooke & Gillespie and to a lesser degree Mt Matheson) with residential neighbourhoods of family homes on side roads. Children play here. Wildlife are often unpredictable and sometimes hazardous - with multiple fawn deaths most years due to MVIs. Road quality is variable with frequently poor sight lines and limited clear shoulders.

Many drivers use some of the residential sideroads to access the East Sooke Regional Park are unfamiliar with the roads and sight lines. Many park visitors also walk along the road shoulder to access their hikes. All of these factors make our neighbourhoods especially vulnerable to the kind of tragic accidents that can be reliably prevented by lower speed limits. 

Reducing our current speed limit of 50kph to 30kph would only increase maximum travel times within most neighbourhoods by an average of 2 minutes. Those 2 minutes, however, could dramatically increase safety for all road users, and especially for our neighbourhood’s children! The longest single distance from would be Leda to East Sooke Road. 

The map here shows the areas I'm proposing should have reduced speed limits.

East Sooke Map

For total clarity these are the roads I'm proposing should have reduced speed limits organized by area.

  • Mt Matheson:
    • Ambience Place
    • Cains Way
    • Mt Matheson (only after Cains Way)
    • Seascape Place
    • Race Passage Close
    • Wilderness Place
    • Western Slope Close
  • Park Heights:
    • Callisto Place
    • Jupiter Place
    • Leda Road
    • Park Heights Drive
    • Titan Place
  • Anderson Cove:
    • Anderson Cove Road
    • Covina Drive
    • Eaglewood Place
    • Lascall Place
    • Norwach Place
    • Pim Head Road
    • Roclair Place
  • Copper Mine:
    • Andover Road
    • Brecon Drive
    • Cole Road
    • Clun Place
    • Copper Mine Road
    • Gordon Road
    • Hensbro Place
    • Llanilar Road
    • Martock Road
    • Raglan Place
    • Tenby Place
    • Valentine Road
    • Winslow Drive
  • Timberdoodle:
    • Cockle Lane
    • Timberdoodle Road
    • Woodcock Road
  • Seagirt and single roads further west:
    • Berkeley Road
    • Cornelius Road
    • Covey Run Road
    • Pike Road
    • Seagirt Road
  • Eliza Point
    • Eliza Point Road
    • Thornett Place
    • Thornett Road
  • Tideview
    • Basso Road
    • Large Place
    • Tideview Road

# Get Involved

Do you also support a safer local road for the residential neighbourhoods of East Sooke? A quick and easy support method is to sign the petition. If you're willing to do a bit more work, write a letter to the relevant people - the more of your own voice you put into the letter the bigger impact since form letters are generally ranked lower. Form letters will be held until the petition is submitted and then all current ones will be sent. After that any letters will be sent as they are received. 

Unlike within incorporated municipalities, roads in East Sooke are the responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation and Transit. We are also in the provincial riding of Juan de Fuca - Malahat.

Who will this be going to? Currently the plan is to send the petition and any letters to the following people.

  • Al Wickheim, Electoral Area Director for Juan de Fuca
  • Shawn Haley, Operations Manager, South Island Area, Ministry of Transportation and Transit
  • Owen Page, Roads Area Manager SA1, Ministry of Transportation and Transit
  • Dana Lajeunesse, MLA, Juan de Fuca - Malahat
  • Hon. Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportion and Transit

Letters and Petition may be sent to additional contacts if it becomes necessary given the cross jurisdictional issues.

Note: Register/Log in to have most of the forms autofill both now and in the future - as well as track your involvement.

Sign the Petition

Full Petition Text

To Whom It May Concern,
CC: Al Wickheim, Electoral Area Director for Juan de Fuca
CC: Shawn Haley, Operations Manager, South Island Area, TranBC
CC: Ravi Parmar, MLA, Langford - Juan de Fuca

Introduction

Per the WHO, Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years. The severity of pedestrian injuries are largely dependent on the speed of collision: front on at 50kph the fatality rate is a shocking 80%; at 30kph the fatality rate decreases dramatically to 10%.(1)

Vision Zero(2), a multi-national traffic safety initiative based on the philosophy that no one should be killed or seriously injured on the road, and related iniatives to increase safety and reduce speed limits are growing in popularity. Earlier this year, Duncan set 30kph as the default speed limit within their community, with connector roads at 40kph(3).

Park Heights Neighbourhood

We are a rural, residential neighbourhood of family homes. Children play here. Wildlife are often unpredictable and sometimes hazardous - with multiple fawn deaths most years due to MVIs. Road quality is variable with frequently poor sight lines and limited clear shoulders.

Many drivers who use Park Heights to access the East Sooke Regional Park are unfamiliar with the roads and sight lines. Many park visitors also walk along the road shoulder to access their hikes. All of these factors make our neighbourhood especially vulnerable to the kind of tragic accidents that can be reliably prevented by lower speed limits. 

The single access point to our neighbourhood means that sufficient signage could be achieved with only a single sign - making this a very affordable change. Reducing our current speed limit of 50kph to 30kph would only increase maximum travel times within the neighbourhood by an average of 2 minutes. Those 2 minutes, however, could dramatically increase safety for all road users, and especially for our neighbourhood’s children!

Conclusion

We, the undersigned, request that TranBC lower the speed limit in our residential area to 30kph to increase safety for all road users, particularly children.

 

(1) SPEED MANAGEMENT – ISBN 92-821-0377-3 - ECMT, 2006

(2) https://www.visionzerobc.ca/

(3) https://bigconversations.duncan.ca/speedlimits

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  • 1

    SPEED MANAGEMENT – ISBN 92-821-0377-3 -  ECMT, 2006

  • 2

    What is Vision Zero, see also Vision Zero BC, 

  • 3

    Speed Limits Duncan

  • 4

    https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/lowering-speed-limits-makes-seattle-streets-safer

  • 5

    https://highways.dot.gov/sites/fhwa.dot.gov/files/Safe_System_Approach_for_Speed_Management.pdf