A Message from Councillor Tadeson

Sharing the Road: Why Road Safety Matters More Than Ever

This past month, a young girl (and then her mother) lost her life on one of our rural roads. This wasn't about road conditions or infrastructure.  According to police interviews, this was about one driver who made a poor choice.

That decision destroyed a family and sent a dire warning to our community.

Every day, I see the mix that makes Ward 11 special. Farm equipment heading to and from fields. Cycling teams and casual riders cycling along our paved narrow country roads.  School Buses and families driving kids to school. Commuters cutting through rural routes to avoid highway traffic, trucks making special deliveries or blatantly disregarding our specified truck routes.  

This blend also creates real safety challenges that demand our attention.

When you press the gas pedal past the speed limit on our rural roads, you're not just breaking a rule. You're gambling with other people's lives that are sharing the road with you.  I fully understand that our rural roads weren't designed for today's traffic volumes. Many were built decades ago when townships were smaller and the pace was slower. The curves around century farms and dips through creek valleys that make our area beautiful also limit visibility and escape routes when someone drives dangerously.  

Please drive carefully.  Speed limits aren't suggestions. They're set based on road conditions, sight lines, and safety data. When someone decides those limits don't matter, the physics can be unforgiving.

Our rural roads will forgive a lot of mistakes, but they won't forgive excessive speed. At 80 km/h in a 50 zone, reaction time disappears. At 120 km/h, survival chances plummet.

For all drivers: The speed limit is the maximum safe speed in ideal conditions. When you see farm equipment, cyclists, or school zones, slow down further. When visibility is limited, back off. When you're tempted to pass unsafely or speed up "just this once," remember that families are counting on you to make the right choice.

For farm equipment operators, pedestrians, and cyclists: Visibility saves lives. Bright clothing, proper lighting, and predictable movement help other drivers make safe decisions.

Since I began in office, I've been working continuously with the City on better signage and road improvements, and with the Police for increased presence on our roads, but there is no amount of infrastructure or enforcement that can fix dangerous driving. That responsibility belongs to each of us behind the wheel.

I grew up around farming. I understand the rhythm of rural life and the reality that our roads serve everyone from school buses and transport trucks, to combines and small compact family vehicles. But that shared space comes with shared responsibility.

The real costs of dangerous driving are not tickets or license points, but the injuries and fatalities that result from it.

Our rural roads connect our communities, but they're only as safe as we choose to make them each time we drive on them. Every time you get behind the wheel, someone is counting on you to drive like their life depends on it.  Because it does.

Thanks for your consideration.

Cllr Mark

Questions about road safety in Ward 11? Contact my office at ward11@hamilton.ca or catch me at the next Mark in the Park session.