Keep it between the ditches!

Well, I'm done! At least, I'm done the in-class portion of Teacher's College.

Now I have 5 weeks of practice teaching waiting for me after the March break, and then I'm completely done! Except for the job hunt. How hard can that be?

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There was an interesting discussion taking place in the News Response forum on Thursday, following the report of the single-vehicle accident at the corner of Hwy 17 and Trunk Road, at the eastern City Limits.

It seems that some people believe that either (a) the government -- specifically the MTO -- is at fault for allowing a poorly-designed roadway to be constructed, and for providing inadequate signage warning of the upcoming intersection, or (b) the Batchewana Band Council is to blame for not arriving at an acceptable deal with the Province with regard to conveying the land required to continue the four-lane straight through to Black Road.

Both notions are, in my opinion, hogwash!

Yes, there is a very small kernel of truth in the latter argument -- the Province and the Batchewana Band Council have yet to reach an deal on the land purchase needed to further extend the four-lane. However, as with any negotiation, it is fair to say that both sides have played a role in the delay.

Speaking of delays... now that the four-lane has gone through Garden River, many people seem to have forgotten how long it took to negotiate that deal. I was still a wee lad riding in the back seat when the four-lane section through Bar River and Laird was constructed.

At that time, many people believed that they would not live to see the four-lane brought through to the Sault... as was the case with my grandfather.

I don't hold the same, bleak outlook for the extension across Rankin land, but I do suspect it will take a few more years to negotiate a deal that is acceptable to both parties. It shouldn't take that long, but it likely will. Such is the nature of governments.

As well, as poster yayaya stated, "The purpose of the four lane was to by pass the GR [Garden River] residential area for safety reasons... There is not the same urgency in Rankin to sign a deal."

As to the former argument, that the road itself is somehow to blame, allow me to reiterate: hogwash!

If the road, and specifically that intersection, was as poorly-designed as some are suggesting, wouldn't there be almost daily accidents there?

People predicted there would be accidents on Carmen's Way when it opened, and lo and behold, they were right. But is there a direct, quantifiable correlation between the design of the roadway and the number of accidents? No.
Once again I would suggest that if the road was that poorly designed, vehicles making it from one end to the other without being involved in some kind of accident would be the exception.

The leading cause of motor vehicle collisions -- especially single-vehicle accidents -- is driver error, such as driving too fast for conditions, inattention and distractions, or impairment due to alcohol, drugs, or drowsiness.

In fact, a review of Transport Canada statistics (1988-1997) show that more fatalities and injuries occurred on straight and level roadways than any other configuration, and that of those only about half occurred at intersections.

An interesting point to note is that the number of fatalities was highest in single-vehicle collisions.

The stats also show a steady decline in the number of accidents over the decade.

http://tinyurl.com/28mocj

Of course, statistics only tell part of the story. The fact is that a motor vehicle is just a machine, and they require someone to operate them. As the old joke goes, the biggest problem is the nut behind the wheel.

In yesterday's discussion Soo Senior stated "In this day and age, if a new highway has design flaws...heads must roll," and that is certainly true. For that reason, I have little if any doubt that the roadway was designed properly.

In today's litigious society, no engineer would be willing to place their stamp on a drawing that does not meet the most recent and comprehensive design and safety standards.

I do not mean to suggest that there aren't roads and intersections where extra care is required of the drivers, but it still comes down to the driver.

And really, whether we're talking about a straight or curved stretch of road, an intersection or a parking lot, "accidents" are caused by drivers.

Certainly there are steps we can take to reduce the likelihood of being involved in a collision -- defensive driving and driving with appropriate skill and care -- but it is foolish to blame the road.

The only person truly responsible for the operation of a motor vehicle is the operator.

But... that's just my opinion.