By Robin Krafft
New in-road signs have popped up across Norfolk County to remind drivers to obey the speed limit. These flexible signs, which are installed in the middle of the road, combat distraction and promote awareness of local speed limits.
Physically narrowing the lanes, the in-road signs reinforce the necessity of slowing down. Many cities and communities across Ontario have introduced the in-road signs with great success. They are often used in high priority areas such as school zones or where there have been pedestrian fatalities related to speeding. Toronto, Ottawa, London ,and smaller towns like Tecumseh, have installed the in-road signs with positive responses and feedback from residents. In recent years, the residents of Norfolk County have expressed concerns to committees and councils across the county regarding road safety. People are particularly noticing the prevalence of speeding, which is a leading cause of accidents. Driver distraction, carelessness, and impairment are other common causes, but driving at high speeds often increases the severity of damage and injury when a collision occurs. Norfolk County Council and the Norfolk Road Safety Committee have made it a priority to make roads, streets and highways safer. This is the latest tool in their arsenal, with the aim of alerting motorists to changes in the speed limit at entry points as they enter urban areas. People from out of the area may not be aware of the decreasing limits from 80 km/h to 60 km/h to 50 km/h. With more cars on Norfolk County’s roads, and an increase in speeding and distracted driving, traffic calming strategies and devices continue to be implemented. This pilot project involves speed studies conducted by the OPP before and after implementation in order to determine the efficacy of the centre-line signs, which will determine an expansion or reduction of the program.
The signs have a metal base which is secured to the road with bolts. The sign itself is flexible and will not cause damage to vehicles. They are seasonal and will be in place from May to October, to allow for the necessity of snow plowing. The in-road signs have been installed in Port Rowan, St. Williams, Boston, Langton, Lyndoch, Waterford, Simcoe and Port Dover.
Norfolk County’s General Manager of Operations, Bill Cridland, says that “the Norfolk Road Safety Committee is doing a lot of good work. Road safety is a priority with a lot of our residents and the committee is analyzing the data and coming up with solutions for traffic calming. This leads to policies and pilot projects like this, and we move forward. The intended outcome is to have safer streets for our residents.”
The issue is not restricted to Norfolk County. Ontario Provincial Police reported a record number of fatalities across the province in 2023. Despite local reports of recent collisions, the numbers in Norfolk County actually decreased, with eight fatalities in 2023 compared to the previous year’s total of ten.
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