Happy New Year from the Navan Community Association Safety Committee! There was no column last month due to the Christmas holidays, but we are now back and looking forward to more interactions with our residents for the remainder of 2015!
For this month’s column, we will focus on a safety issue which is raised by Navan residents more often than any other: speeding cars and aggressive driving. A 2012 public survey conducted by the Ottawa Police revealed that this issue is also the most important concern for the citizens of Ottawa. The speed limit on most streets within our village is 40km/hr and 50km/hr on Trim and Colonial. The speeding problem is most often reported along Trim Rd (south of Delson), as well as along Henn Dr and Delson Dr.
Did you know that if you drive the entire length of Delson travelling at 60km/hr instead of the 40km/hr speed limit, you will only save about 30 seconds to your commute (and risk a $95 dollar fine)? Also, if a child chasing a ball was to suddenly emerge onto the street 29 meters in front of your car travelling at that same speed, taking into account the average human reaction time, you would be hitting the child at 44km/hr, thus possibly causing him/her serious injury or death, while a person driving the speed limit would have ample time and space to bring their vehicle to a complete stop.
When you consider all these factors, is it really worth it to speed along residential streets? Please be considerate of your neighbours and their children… Tell your friends and other drivers in your household: DON’T SPEED IN OUR VILLAGE!
Traffic complaints can be made on-line through the Ottawa Police website. Ensure you take note of the licence plate of the vehicle and description of the driver. For more information on this topic, please go to the following link: http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/safety-and-crimeprevention/aggressive-driving-and-rules-of-the-road.asp
If you have a question/comment for the Safety Committee, please e-mail us at: safety@navan.on.ca