All these head-on collisions?

[Takin it easy !]

What's going on people these are severe crashes and on the increase your thoughts ?

[Dizzy1]

The increase in traffic every year certainly has to be a factor.

[the truth]

more morons driving are roads every day

[GoStumpy]

My thoughts are that it's crazy we don't have concrete barriers between each direction of travel. If the speed limit is over 80 (or 70)km/h, it should be divided with a barrier.

That would prevent EVERY SINGLE head on collision.

Thoughts?

[Merry]

Yesterday my hubby was driving on Hwy 6 when he saw a vehicle coming directly towards him on his side of the road. It was passing other vehicles and was travelling very fast. My husband and the car behind him both ended up in the dirt at the side of the road in order to avoid this speeding vehicle, which just kept right on going as if nothing untoward had happened.

[skydawg]

PAY ATTENTION = Less accidents/head ons

[fvkasm2x]

PAY ATTENTION = Less accidents/head ons

Why pay attention when we can just insert concrete barriers? /sarcasm off

[GoStumpy]

Pretty hard to enforce EVERYONE (read: millions of people) to be always paying attention. There will always be people distracted, tired, drunk, or otherwise.

Pretty easy to enforce a concrete barrier.

/sarcasm?

[Glacier]

My thoughts are that it's crazy we don't have concrete barriers between each direction of travel. If the speed limit is over 80 (or 70)km/h, it should be divided with a barrier.

That would prevent EVERY SINGLE head on collision.

Thoughts?

All humans are fallible beings, so we ALL make mistakes. Installing a concrete barrier would make sense, but what would have made better sense would have been to build the highway divided to start with. For example, the 10km undivided section between Oyama and Vernon cannot simply be fixed with a concrete divider. The median is too narrow to do so, and there are several other factors involved such as drainage issues. The road was designed and built to be undivided because the powers that be never though the Okanagan could ever get this populated.

[Always Sunny]

My thoughts are that it's crazy we don't have concrete barriers between each direction of travel. If the speed limit is over 80 (or 70)km/h, it should be divided with a barrier.

That would prevent EVERY SINGLE head on collision.

Thoughts?

Perhaps the problem is the drivers inability to stay in his/her own lane. All concrete dividers will serve to do is allow a drive to plow into them, which will still likely bring harm to them, their passengers, and probably those following in their vehicles. It's just a different type of accident.

The only thing that would prevent these sorts of accidents (those where drivers leave their own lane) would be for drivers to be much more mindful of their speed, where their wheels are, weather conditions, etc.

[GoStumpy]

Well I don't want to say I was right, but I think I saw it coming and was thinking the right direction:

http://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/118 ... 4.facebook

Killer highway gets median

A now infamous stretch of Hwy. 97 between Oyama and Vernon is getting much needed attention from the BC Government.

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone announced Wednesday the province will install concrete median barriers on approximately 11 kilometres of the highway between Lake Country and Vernon to improve safety for motorists.

Stone says the decision to install median barriers was made following a recent engineering safety review of the highway which was driven by the risk of crossover accidents in that section combined with high traffic volumes.

“Safety on our highways is our number one priority, and the risk of collisions involving vehicles crossing the centreline on this section of Highway 97 is a significant concern. The addition of 11 kilometres of median barrier will help prevent those serious crossover collisions and improve safety on this section of Highway 97 for all motorists,” says Stone.

Last month Castanet told you about the nine individuals who lost their lives on that stretch of highway since 2009 and a call out for solutions.

A majority of highway users were begging for a median to be put in as a crucial necessity.

“This safety upgrade to Highway 97 will improve the drive between Vernon and Lake Country, and make our region’s main highway safer for families, for visitors and for commercial users,” adds MLA for Vernon-Monashee Eric Foster.

Concrete median barriers will be extended from the end of Pelmawash Parkway near Oyama to Kalamalka Lakeview Drive near Vernon with work beginning this fall, at a cost of $5M.

On top of this and as a result of this engineering assessment the government also determined that they can increase the speed limit on this section of Highway 97 (like the increase implemented on Hwy. 97C) from 90 km/h to 100 km/h with the addition of median barrier. This change to the speed limit will be made following the completion of the median barrier project.

Median barrier installation work will be done in off-peak travel hours, usually evening and overnight, and will require single lane closures for safety.

[logman]

I thought a concrete divider might be the best idea. I recall many, many times in the early morning in Peachland dodging deer. No traffic. Just deer bouncing accross the hyw. Swerve into empty oncoming lane to miss the deer. Now I think that a barricade may be a terrible idea.

[Dizzy1]

That would prevent EVERY SINGLE head on collision.

No it wouldn't, trucks/cars can still break through and hit another car in the oncoming lanes ... it would reduce them, but not eliminate them.

[GoStumpy]

That would prevent EVERY SINGLE head on collision.

No it wouldn't, trucks/cars can still break through and hit another car in the oncoming lanes ... it would reduce them, but not eliminate them.

Yeah right, this ain't the movies... Cars and trucks ain't crossing the center line when there's a barrier in place.

[Woodenhead]

Those barriers just re-direct the impacting vehicle back into traffic. No head-ons, but just as many accidents. Plus it costs money. meh, just increase taxes. Plus the accidents they'll create just leads to more traffic snarls - can't just divert around if there's a concrete barricade in the way.

The more you try to cater to stupidity, the more stupid proves it's stronger than your efforts. Just let Darwinism take care of things. And don't worry about innocent bystanders getting hurt - that's just God doing His work.

;)