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Questionable speed traps on 410

March 24, 2016   ·   0 Comments

Just noticed your July 16, 2014 story —

Lowest speed limits = costliest insurance.

The following may be at least of curious

interest to you …

On Highway 410 north, well beyond Valleywood

and even further before 410 joins

with Highway 10 – somewhere on 410

before those points, apparently the speed

limit drops to 80 km/h.

This is on a four-lane, divided highway,

no less – certainly not something drivers

expect. The sign, I’m told, is on the far right

shoulder where drivers shouldn’t really be

looking anyway, and those that see it would

mostly assume it refers to an off-ramp speed.

Normally, police often sit at the switch

from divided Highway 410 to Highway 10,.

where the 80 km/h speed is clearly visible

and appropriate for that road. Makes sense;

it’s also where most people expect the speed

limit to change.

As someone who lives in Brampton, and

have for quite some time, and often travel

that way (north to Caledon), I have never

seen that sign … never. And without a doubt

very few other people do, either. At any time

of day, any day, all vehicles going through

that area are traveling at 90-120 km/h, so

no doubt most others are not aware of that

speed change. And there is no reason to

expect it, as there is no change in road capabilities.

It is indeed expected that the speed limit

would not have changed.

This weekend (March 19 and 20), OPP offi –

cers took up radar spotting locations at the

point well before the older Highway 10 road

and were having a fi eld day, of cash-grab

ticketing. The bigger issue here is because

of the unexpected and less-than-well-posted

speed limit reduction, many drivers are very

close to the 50 km/h ruling as it relates to

stunt driving legislation.

Remember, the speed limit drops to 80

km/h on a four-lane, divided highway. These

people are not stunt driving – they are not in

souped-up cars or young adults. The people

getting charged here are professionals, families,

overall good citizens in the community.

They are not drag racing or any of that nonsense.

The immediate costs for stunt driving

are signifi cant – $1000, $1500 just to get the

vehicle back. Remember these are families,

professionals otherwise and typically quite

law abiding citizens on Saturdays, Sunday

afternoons … families out doing their normal

things.

While I agree with appropriate enforcement

of traffi c laws for safety, they should

be applied with more common sense. It is

very blatant to me that that section of 410,

with questionable speed posting changes, is

clearly being used in abuse of the stunt driving

legislation’s intent.

Yesterday, according to a tow truck driver,

a 76-year-old man was charged with stunt

driving. I mean, come on, seriously!?

Today, merging with a faster outside lane,

all moving at 120, to avoid a signifi cantly

slower vehicle, my speed went above the

130 mark and while coasting back down got

hit on radar at 135. Briefl y a little faster than

should be, but required to merge into other

lane.

As I said, all cars are traveling at speeds

normal for 100 km/h highways. Not sure

how many people they will catch at that

location.

The tow truck driver’s conversation leads

me to believe it’s in double digits for sure.

But there is absolutely no doubt, in that

location, they stop every car – no one thinks

the speed limit has changed.

Statistically, that doesn’t make sense. The

real culprit is that unexpected speed limit

change. To me, and most people, this is a

clear abuse of the intent of stunt driving legislation.

The area of Highway 410 in question

seems to be in Caledon OPP jurisdiction,

so speed limit postings are likely Caledon

set as well? Are revenues from this also

going to Caledon?

There will be quite of few irritated

Bramptonites by this, for sure. I’m passing

along this information, as it may be something

noteworthy for your paper. Again,

to me and I’m sure anyone reasonable,

this is an abuse of the intent of law here. I

wonder, did the “trickery” catch any single

moms today/yesterday, struggling to feed

her kid(s), now having to face thousands

of dollars in costs, not counting potential

insurance cost for years.

Remember, everyone using that stretch

of road is expecting the speed limit to be

consistently 100 km/h. Seriously, most

people stay within speed limits, plus a

bit, with some excess moving past trucks,

etc. Very few people intentionally exceed

speed limits by 50 km/h-plus. That section

of 410 feels more like an intentional trap,

nobody expects the speed limit to have

changed.

I’m certainly not the only one affected

by this. I personally don’t believe driving

signifi cantly faster than other traffi c is a

good or safe idea. Not sure if the 50-over

penalty is just or not, but certainly some

number over should be a signifi cant penalty.

But the issue of this email is … on the

particular stretch of highway mentioned,

very few people are aware of the speed

limit drop, the posting is likely on the

far right of a divided highway. Nobody

expects it, the sign should at least be more

prominent, likely overhead – no one is

looking at the far right shoulder, they are

watching the road. And seriously, nobody

is driving 80 at that point.

Glynn Buckley

Brampton

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