According to one study, Bradford’s efforts to tackle traffic safety might already be paying off.
Insurance comparator, MyChoice, recently ranked Bradford sixth out of the top ten “cities” for driving in Ontario based on data from more than 100,000 insurance quotes since 2020, including 2,274 collisions and 5,080 tickets.
To determine the ranking, MyChoice looked at information supplied by users while applying for insurance quotes, including their postal codes and whether or not they had collisions or tickets on their record.
Of those drivers identified as living in Bradford, 7.94 per cent had tickets on their records, and 9.32 per cent had collisions on their records.
The company used weighted averages of collisions and infractions with a 70/30 importance ratio to create a scoring system from zero to five, with five being the most safe.
Bradford scored 3.4, behind places like Toronto and Richmond Hill, but ahead of places like Nepean and Thornhill.
The list of safest cities includes:
- Toronto — 4.4
- Richmond Hill — 4.0
- North York — 3.9
- East York — 3.7
- Whitby — 3.6
- Bradford — 3.4
- Etobicoke — 3.4
- Maple — 3.4
- Nepean — 3.2
- Thornhill — 3.2
Using the same methodology, the company determined the 10 most dangerous cities for driving in Ontario were:
- Brantford — 0.7
- Ajax — 1.3
- Kingston — 1.4
- Bolton — 1.4
- Burlington — 1.5
- St. Catherines — 1.7
- Barrie — 1.7
- Windsor — 1.8
- Hamilton — 2.0
- Kitchener — 2.0
MyChoice representative, Vitalii Starov, acknowledged there was no way for the company to know where those infractions or collisions occurred, meaning that even if drivers who live in Bradford tend to be safe, Bradford could still see plenty of collisions and speeding by drivers from elsewhere visiting the town.
BradfordToday looked at data from the South Simcoe Police Service for the months of June to October inclusive which revealed several locations that experienced more than one collision in any given month.
The most common locations on private property at which collisions were reported included the shopping plazas at:
- 545 Holland St. West
- 470 Holland St. West
- 500 Holland St. West
- 553 Holland St. West
The intersection of Holland Street West and West Park Avenue stood out as the most common public location at which collisions were reported, but some other locations included:
- Line 8 and Professor Day Drive
- Line 8 and Barrie Street
- Line 9 and Yonge Street
- Line 9 and Sideroad 10
- Bridge Street and Canal Road
- Bridge Street and Dissette Street
While Paul Dubniak, transportation technologist for the town, gave assurance that intersections are reviewed on an ongoing basis and staff are investigating advancements in technologies to improve reliability and safety, he also cautioned that intersections are often listed as the locations for collisions even if a collision actually happened nearby.
“Collisions have the ability to occur anywhere. Higher volume roadways (for example Bridge Street sees approx. 1,050,000 vehicles per month) have an increased propensity that a driver will make an error. Town staff will continue to review collision data and notes to see what, if any trends are occurring and any potential resolutions,” he said via email.
In response to questions about which initiatives may have helped Bradford achieve the high safety rating, Dubniak pointed to a variety of factors, including council’s emphasis on dealing with traffic by making it a strategic priority and creating the community and traffic safety committee as well as providing the budget to pilot and install new traffic-calming measures as part of the traffic mitigation strategy.
That strategy is intended to create two separate guides: a design guide to ensure all new roads include traffic calming from the outset, and a traffic calming guide to ensure traffic-calming measures are added to existing streets using a consistent process, based on measurable data.
“To tackle traffic congestion effectively, the strategy identifies high-traffic areas throughout town, where residents experience the most inconvenience and risk. By pinpointing these locations, the (committee) can better develop targeted solutions,” Dubniak said.
Anyone who missed the first public information centre (PIC) about the strategy or who wants to know more can attend the second PIC on Wednesday, Dec. 13 from 6-8 p.m. at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library at 425 Holland St. West, or visit www.townofbwg.com/tms.
“Community involvement is crucial to the success of the traffic mitigation strategy,” Dubniak said. “After all, community members are the ones who live and work in these areas and are directly affected by traffic conditions."
Dubniak also highlighted the efforts of South Simcoe Police Service members “who are out day and night to enforce roadway rules and improve safety” in the community, residents who relay issues to the town, and staff who encourage safe driving behaviour by creating a predictable roadway environment through the consistent, appropriate application of traffic control devices.
The South Simcoe Police Service declined to provide advice to motorists for this article.
The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) recommends the following tips to stay safe while driving:
- Wear your seatbelt
- Make sure your view is clear
- Turn on your lights
- Drive to road and weather conditions
- Avoid distractions – move your eyes about every two seconds
- Put away your phone
- Signal all your intentions, including in parking lots and on residential roads
- Keep a safe following distance
- Let other traffic merge
- Leave the left lane for passing
- Avoid passing on the right, especially large vehicles
- Don’t drive in other vehicles’ blind spots
- Dim your high beam lights for oncoming traffic; dim your headlights when you are within 300 metres of oncoming traffic
- Don’t use your horn in anger
- Make eye contact with cyclists and pedestrians
- Don’t drive to the right of or directly behind large vehicles
- Keep an emergency car kit in your car
The CAA is a not-for-profit founded in 1913 providing roadside assistance, auto touring and leisure travel services, insurance services, and member discount programs.
“The Town would like to take this opportunity to also add please slow down, remember that this our community,” Dubniak said.
To read the full findings from MyChoice, visit: www.mychoice.ca/blog/top-10-safest-dangerous-cities-for-driving-ontario/.
