Region of Peel supports creation of Ontario Rural Road Safety Program

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Councillors from Caledon, Brampton and Mississauga all agree that safety on rural roads is an important issue.

At Region of Peel Council's January 23 meeting, Councillors supported a report recommending the writing of a letter to the Minister of Transportation and Minister of Rural Affairs in support of the Province implementing a rural road safety program. 

The program would be led by the Ontario Good Roads Association.

In 2023, 23 per cent of fatal collisions on Region of Peel roads occurred on rural roads.

“Due to the nature of rural roads, collisions are generally more severe than collisions on urban roads due to differences in operating speeds, road geometry, functionality, enforcement levels, and other factors,” said Region of Peel staff in a report. “Good Roads has proposed leading a five-year, $183 million program to put in place the solutions that will address some of Ontario's most dangerous roads.”

The report notes that as Caledon is predominantly rural and covers 55 per cent of Peel's total land area, it's pertinent for the Region to support rural road safety. 

Good Roads' rural road safety program would target a municipality's most dangerous roads, perform safety audits, and install modern safety infrastructure to prevent serious injuries and save lives.