AUGUST 9, 1996
FIX TRAFFIC LAW, SAYS SENSE

VANCOUVER -- Traffic-safety group SENSE (Safety by Education, Not Speed
Enforcement) has called on Minister of Transportation and Highways,
Lois Boone, to enact clear laws against driving in the passing lanes of
BC's highways.

SENSE Director of Research Michael Cain says such a law is especially
urgent because of the unintended effect of the photo radar publicity -
many drivers, fearful of photo radar tickets, are being unduly cautious
about their speed and are driving in passing lanes at speeds below the
posted limit.

"Traffic engineers will often say it's not speed that kills, but rather
differentials in speed," Cain says.  "When drivers are stalled by slow
drivers in the fast lane, they often take chances in order to get by
them.  Police will tell you that's a frequent cause of accidents and
aggravation on the roads."

In 1994, there were 392,345 convictions for speeding offenses, yet only
75 for slow driving.  Current BC laws make it difficult for police to
obtain convictions on impeding drivers.

"Much of Europe and states such as Washington have effective laws against
dawdling in the passing lane," Cain asserts.  "Why should BC be any
different?"

The text of the letter to Minister of Transportation and Highways,
Lois Boone, on August 9, 1996, reads as follows:

    Our members and indeed many members of the public have communicated
    to us their concern that the recent publicity about photo radar has
    resulted in a over-reaction by some motorists.

    As an example, roads with a posted speed of 80 km/h, which were
    previously travelled safely at 85 to 90 km/h, now see average travel
    speeds of about 75 km/h.  This behaviour results from drivers now
    paying more attention to their speedometer than to the roadway and
    their fear of the unfamiliar photo radar program, and is not limited
    to the 'high-accident' locations that photo radar is advertised to
    be working in.

    An unfortunate, but documented, side effect of photo radar publicity
    is that the habitually slower drivers reduce their speed even
    further [Corbett, Claire.  "Road Traffic Offending and the
    Introduction of Speed Cameras in England:  The First Self-Report
    Survey."  Accident Analysis and Prevention, 27.3 (1995), p. 350,
    and other studies].

    SENSE urges your government to move quickly to help remedy this
    problem by changing the current signage 'Slower Traffic Keep Right'
    to 'All Traffic Keep Right Except To Pass,' and relevant legislation.
    Police officers have indicated to us their frustration at the
    vagueness of the current situation which makes it difficult to get
    a conviction, and are therefore hesitant to charge for this offense.
    For instance, in 1994, there were 392,345 conviction for speeding
    offenses, yet only 75 for slow driving.

    As an added benefit, keeping the left hand lane clear helps
    facilitate the safe and rapid movement of emergency vehicles.

    A balance between the safe and expeditious flow of traffic is
    necessary for all road users.  However, increased congestion created
    by unnecessarily slow traffic, and the ineffectiveness of police to
    deal with it, will only serve to reduce remaining contentment with
    your program.

    We urge you to act before the end of the current legislative session
    to solve this problem.

End of letter.

An April, 1995, ICBC Speed Attitudes public opinion survey found that
"53% of residents [agree] that slow moving vehicles are more of a safety
hazard than fast moving vehicles,"  This is further corroborated by a
September, 1995, BCAA survey which found that "over one-half of members
(57%) feel that slow-moving vehicles are more of a safety hazard than
fast-moving ones, and that posted speed limits don't mean much (54%)."

Traffic safety programs should have a balanced focus on the three-E's on
road safety:  Education, Engineering, and Enforcement.  The Traffic
Safety Initiative introduced in BC is fundamentally enforcement based.
Driver frustration will be the ultimate downfall of this program,
including photo radar, if our government fails to deal adequately with
the education and engineering issues of our roads.