Filed under: Government/Legal, First Drive
New hardcore laws in Canada could mean end of "Ontariobahn"
Highway 401 in Ontario, Canada runs from Windsor all the way across to the Quebec border and on to Montreal. Since the 1970s, the speed limit has been 100 km/h (about 62 mph), but actual average speeds along long stretches in the rural southwestern part of the province are often considerably higher, leading to the nickname Ontariobahn.To combat late night street racing and excessive speeds everywhere, a new extreme driving law went into effect a week ago. The maximum fine for violating the law has now been bumped from $1,000 to $10,000 along with an instant seven-day license suspension and seven-day impound of the vehicle. What can earn you such a punishment? Any number of offenses from racing or even showing the intent to race to simply exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 50 km/h (30 mph). Over 100 drivers had their cars impounded during the first week under the new rules.
Next you take a shortcut through Canada on the way from Buffalo to Detroit, you might want to ensure your cruise control is set right at the speed limit.
[Source: Toronto Star]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ginsberg 6:43PM (10/08/2007)
This is total BS. There is no Ontariobahn. The 401 is a frustratingly *slow* highway, with speeds that don't come close to the highways in nearby Detroit. This is just another government money grab. The way to save lives on the 401 is to teach Ontario drivers proper highway etiquette. Slow drivers spread out amongst all lanes is what keeps this road dangerous.
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Troy 7:08PM (10/08/2007)
Time of day and where you are huge factors. In Toronto its common to refer to the 401 as a parking lot, but at 3am thats not the case, and there are tons of long stretches with no traffic at all, almost anytime.
I remember geez, almost 10 years ago when I got on the 401 (or 403) I was doing 160, anytime in the Mississauga area.
psarhjinian 7:19PM (10/08/2007)
No, people weaving through traffic without signalling (and without regard for other cars) is what causes accidents. Not speeding (though you have to speed to weave) and certainly not driving slowly, contrary to what some adrenalin junkies profess.
Drive a Scandinavian, Swiss or German highway and you'll understand what disciplined driving is. I have no issues with someone driving 160 on the 401, but I do have issues with someone reenacting Ronin in the eastbound express at Morningside (yes, this happened to me on the way home).
Speeding is just the easiest quantifiable conviction an officer can make unless there's an accident involved. "Dangerous driving" (unsafe lane changes is my favourite example) is a subjective offense and not nearly as easy to prosecute, hence the emphasis on speeding.
Jeremy 8:19PM (10/08/2007)
This goes to show you how much of an election year this is. Why focus on the real issues, when we could focus on speeding and "street racers". I guess now, anyone who is caught going 50 km/h over the limit is now considered a street racer, regardless of if there was another car present. They are floating this agenda as if street racing and speeding are some kind of mass epidemic that is killing thousands. When in the grand scheme of things, very few have died from speeding and street racing, in relation to other causes of death.
I'm not promoting we turn our highways into autobahns where Vin Diesel wannabes can drives their mom's Civic at unsafe speeds, but cracking down on those people who may be doing 140km/h on the 401 when there are little to no cars on the highway makes no sense.
Say a person is speeding down a highway late at night, doing 130km/h, with no other cars around. Who is that person putting in danger, other than themselves? This is my point. There should be some sort of discretion used in these matters. If your doing 130 in traffic, and putting lives in danger, yes, you should be ticketed and fined. But doing it when there are no cars around, why is it such a big deal?
This, just like the DriveClean program, is just another political cash grab tool, making it seem as if there doing good, when in reality, they're just helping themselves to more of our hard earned cash.
Tagg 9:15PM (10/08/2007)
I agree about the speeds on the Detroit area highways. I think when people get on I-96 or I-94 they read that number and beleive thats the speed limit! When I drive those roads I cruise between 80-85 mph in the middle lane and get blitzed on both sides by everything. I have driven faster as well, about 90 and have been passed like I was standing still. People are pretty good about it though, there aren't too many accidents but I would love to all the Ohio drivers to keep out of the left lane though. Evidently in Ohio the left lane is the cruising lane and not the passing lane.
Buffalo Bob 9:22PM (3/04/2008)
It is obvious that the word limit is undefined in Canada
bencox88 7:03PM (10/08/2007)
If 120km/h is you're standard for "Ontariobahn" then yes, it is a fast highway during the rural stretches. However, if there is any highway that can be considered Canada's Autobahn it is the 407. It's an electronic toll cement highway where the cruising speed is generally 130km/h (80 mph) and can push 140 kmh (86 mph) in the fast lane
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Gardiner Westbound 7:26PM (10/08/2007)
Speeding cars are not the problem.
Highway 401 is a warehouse on wheels. The police do nothing about large trucks cruising at 80 mph, tailgating and menacing motorists. Fourteen crashed, rolled and some burned in less than two weeks recently. The death and destruction was horrific.
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thestip 7:52PM (10/08/2007)
The Ontariobahn does exist, at least from Hwy. 403 in Woodstock to the Windsor outskirts. That is the section this article is talking about. Every year when I make the pilgrimage from Buffalo to Detroit in January for the NAIAS its almost a free-for-all as to speed along this section. One year we averaged a speed (according to the GPS) of 96mph and a top speed of 116mph. True the truck traffic can be heavy at times, and that's where you have to slow down, but many sections are just wide open straight line expressway with minimal traffic allowing much higher speeds. Buffalo to Detroit in a little over three hours. Not any longer I guess though.
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Toledo Guy 8:30PM (10/08/2007)
You averaged 96 mph, and hit a high of 116 mph? Shame on you. That section of the 401 is fast, but I've never seen traffic running that fast. I suppose that you are going to tell us that you only driving that fast because "everyone else" was driving that fast? Considering the amount of cross border truck traffic in the area, there is NO WAY you were driving safely. The bigrigs couldn't have been anyway near 90mph. You were an accident waiting to happen. The 401 near Windsor is not a safe highway. The road badly needs widened, but the area is too rural to get any attention from Queens Park. The road will need to run red with blood from some moron averaging 96mph on a border to border run before any money is thrown down to rural Ontario.
TrueDis 7:55PM (10/08/2007)
Being from Southern California, cruising at 80 doesn't really impress me...
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Logik 10:58PM (10/08/2007)
Ditto.
500 8:08PM (10/08/2007)
I'm surprised they didn't have these kinds of penalties already. Here in New England, 30mph over the limit is considered Criminal Speeding and will land you in jail (unless the cop gives you a break and writes up the ticket for less.)
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ricehater 8:13PM (10/08/2007)
"Ontariobahn"? Sorry, I lived in Ontario for 20 years and I never once heard this term.
It's true that the 401 is heavily congested around Toronto, but elsewhere it's quite common to get passed while doing 130 km/h. What's scariest is seeing those sorts of speeds in snowy conditions.
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sk 8:43PM (10/08/2007)
First Ontario should consider changing the speed limit from 100kph to 120kph. This would probably already bring the accident numbers down. For example Michigan changed from 65mph to 70mph on most freeways with the result of less accidents. The traffic flow is much calmer than with 65mph (~100kph), therefore creating less stress on the driver.
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TyMrK 8:49PM (10/08/2007)
I went to woodstock from London on the 401 a few weeks ago and was going between 135 and 145kph. I definitely wasn't outrunning anyone really, and for the most part, was barely keeping up with traffic. Lots of people were passing me. They really need to bump the speed limit up on the road to prevent the unbalance of speed. 5% go 95, 90% go 130-145 and the other 5% go higher. The real problem is people weaving in and out of traffic without looking. One guy in a BMW almost merged right into my family going about 145.
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Chuck U. Farlie 9:14PM (10/08/2007)
My wife was recently pulled over on the 401 outside Kingston, Ontario, after she was trapped at 30 k.p.h. over. If it had been me, I would have got read the riot act because of my AZ class, but her radiant smile among other assets got her warned not to push it past 20 k.p.h. over! This surprisingly isn't the first time I've heard about a police officer telling someone it's o.k. to exceed the maximum speed by 20... so the unwritten speed on the 400 series highways is 120?
As for 50 or more over on these highways, driver, vehicle, and tire capabilities start playing a big role. Everyday I see people who should be on a track to go their desired speed, mixed with people who should probably be taking the side roads or even public transit for their lack of speed, not a safe combo. Vehicles that look as though they reached their expiration date long ago dropping pieces of themselves as they go along. And although more are from transports, shreds of tire are often everywhere! I can't even start to explain about how the road conditions on these particular highways are not any-kinda-bahn worthy.
The key word concerning this law though is 'everywhere'! This is in place to stop this reckless behavior on every Ontario public thoroughfare, and as far as I'm concerned, the penalties are not severe enough for some asshole who thinks it's cool to rip through school zones and residential streets at 50 over the posted!
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Dusty 9:32PM (10/08/2007)
One of the issues here is the fact that the 100km/h limit, which the article states, has been in effect since the 70's. Thats over 30 years ago and since then dozens of safety innovations on vehicles have made them safer than ever before. So why not raise the limit to 120km/h and go after the the real threats like the dangerous drivers, not 90% of the population who drive at reasonable rates, given vehicle safety and technology, that are just trying to get to and from work faster so they can spend more quality time with their families.
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namegoeshere 9:53PM (10/08/2007)
The speed limits were established when 100 km/h was the safe speed for vehicles. Never vehicles can safely cruise at 120-140 all day long. The 401 is not any 'bahn.' Get on the 400 south (just north of barrie) on the right day and you will be passed in the fast lane if you're doing any less than 160.
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donny 9:58PM (10/08/2007)
There are a lot of excuses in here so far.
There is *absolutely no* reason to travel 50 km/h over the speed limit on the 401 - or any other highway.
In reality, this is really only fine tuning the OPP's sights on the drivers they have been going after all along. The 401 is a faster highway - 120 to 130 does seem to be the average speed on the road outside of rush hour. You are extremely unlikely to get a ticket if you are going 120 (most speed traps on the 401 set their radar at 120 - 125). It does seem to be accepted that 20 over really isn't that big a deal. The problem is that the consequences of being the kind of ass that drives at 150 are not severe enough to keep them from doing that. Now they are.
This is a good start. Now, if I were to make an addition, I would add a minimum speed on 400 series highways. Make the Max 120, and the minimum 100. Enforce it. Hopefully that would keep the two things I dislike about the 401 to a minimum - people who have no business being on the road, drive slow, and cause all sorts of mayhem around them, and those who travel way too fast.
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