In a year marked with a road injury or death every other week, it has become clear that we need to act with utmost urgency to make our streets safer for all. This is why we at Strong Towns Ottawa support the implementation of a pilot to ban right turns on red lights in the downtown core of our city.
When we leave the safety of our streets up to the individual to constantly make the right choice we assume that all of us are perfect, this has continuously shown to be a flawed assumption. By ensuring that the rules of our roads account for mistakes that all of us can make we are able to shape the outcomes that we all desire, a safer street for everyone.
It is clear from the evidence that right turns on reds lead to dramatically higher rates of collisions, deaths, and injuries on our roads. These dangers disproportionately impact those who are most vulnerable on our roads, including children, seniors, and those with mobility challenges.
We must evaluate what we are weighing these excess deaths and injuries against, what is their justification? Is prioritizing seconds of driver convenience over the lives and safety of our community really worth it? We would all save much more time by building a truly efficient road system that has simpler intersections which would lead to not only increased safety, but better transportation results as well.
At Strong Towns Ottawa, we always preach that one of the best paths to building a better city is taking the next smallest step forward that provides the largest impact possible. Banning right turns on reds is a simple, low-cost policy that has a proven track record of improving safety in cities across the world, including in Montreal.
Picking and choosing specific intersections leads to confusion from road users, and a lower adherence rate. A blanket ban in the downtown core eliminates ambiguity, helping everyone to follow the rules, contributing to a safer city for all.
Our current system forces us to risk the lives of our loved ones, including children, parents, siblings, neighbours, and friends, so that drivers can save two seconds at an intersection. Let’s fix this system. Let’s prioritize human lives over outdated conventions, ones that cling to dangerous policies of the past.
We urge the City of Ottawa to act swiftly and implement a pilot for banning right turns on red lights as soon as possible. The safety of our community members and loved ones depends on it.
Strong Towns Ottawa