OrilliaMatters welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to the recent 50-car pileup on Highway 11 and a subsequent letter about the Highway 11 on-ramp at Old Barrie Road.
There will always be situations that require a little more of our undivided attention. Certainly while driving at 100 km/h, or coming onto Highway 11 at Old Barrie Road, qualifies as one of those situations.
As a local school bus driver, I travel the southbound ramp and travel southbound past the ramp numerous times per day and witness near collisions at least once a week.
Not all southbound drivers realize the extent of the blind entry, nor do many drivers using the ramp expect the southbound traffic to not be able to change lanes to allow safe entry onto Highway 11.
I've witnessed the indecision of "do I go or do I brake" factors with near catastrophic collisions, but fortunately, in each case, the drivers escaped.
Personally, I had thought of
- Clearing the view of the ramp
- Large (bright) amber light when there's traffic on the ramp
- Large convex mirrors to views by both drivers on the ramp or bypass lanes
Notably, I would not favour lowering the speed, especially for trucks or buses. I presume some data is available for accidents relating to that location and wonder if any action is budgeted for near future changes.
Let's stay alert on our roads and get home safe every day.
John G Bergeron
Orillia
