Road safety funding program requested from provincial government

A new road safety program is being proposed to the provincial government.

Ontario Good Roads is requesting a five-year program to support small and rural municipalities in covering the costs of implementing safety measures.

Speaking to a legislative committee holding pre-budget consultations in Thunder Bay on Wednesday, President Cheryl Fort says things like better signage, lighting and rumble strips can make a difference.

“And after the five years, we figure that we will have done enough proactive work to minimize it into the future,” says Fort.

Fort sees cost savings for the province and municipalities in working to reduce collisions.

She says the program could achieve $ 651 million in reduced costs for things such as vehicle repairs, insurance costs, healthcare, and lost time resulting from collisions.

“We have less in collisions. We have less responses that we have to respond to,” says Fort.

“If we have no collision, we don’t have to respond. And that’s what we’re saying with the rural roads is that by putting the signage, putting in these easy measurable fixes, we can reduce the strain on health care.”

Fort says some municipalities are already taking the initiative to fund safety measures.

She says the installation of a flashing light in one community stopped fatal collisions from happening in an intersection.