Roadside tributes to crash victims prompt better driving: study
07.11.2008 21:03
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- Source: cbc.ca
 A roadside memorial honours Crystal Taman, 40, who was killed in a 2005 crash with an off-duty police officer in Winnipeg.(CBC)Roadside memorials can work as visible deterrents to bad driving, a Calgary study has found. Researchers from the University of Calgary placed mock memorials at selected intersections with red light cameras in the city. In the six weeks after they were put up, almost 17 per cent fewer drivers ran red lights than before. Experiments were also set up on high-speed roadways including Deerfoot Trail in Calgary and Highway 2 near Red Deer. Roadside tributes, often consisting of flowers, stuffed animals and photos, have become popular ways to grieve and remember victims of motor vehicle crashes. The practice has been criticized for distracting drivers and creating road hazards. But after collecting and analyzing data, Richard Tay, study author and road safety chair at the Schulich School of Engineering, concluded Friday that the presence of roadside memorials has no significant effect on traffic speed or following distance. “There does not appear to be any downside in allowing roadside memorials, at least if they’re up for a limited time period,” he said in a news release. Many jurisdictions in Canada are under pressure to create rules regulating the duration, size and even presence of roadside memorials. In an online survey of 800 people, about 62 per cent told Tay that they supported the tributes to some extent. But half of them would like to see a time limit — preferably about a month — imposed on how long they are in place. Almost 47 per cent reported that they found the roadside memorials distracting compared to almost 40 per cent who said the markers made them think about their driving and 32 per cent who said they drove more cautiously after seeing them. RelatedInternal LinksYOUR VIEW: A distraction or do they encourage you to drive better?P.E.I. seeks control over roadside memorialsPrince Albert set to curb roadside memorialsNew roadside memorials coming soon to Manitoba roads: MADDAudio Faiz Jamil reports: Roadside tributes to crash victims prompt better driving: study (Runs: 1:13) Play: real »Consumer HeadlinesCFIA to launch new listeria testing protocolsCanada's food watchdog says it will impose more stringent regulations that force food companies across the country to test their deli meats for listeria. Niagara restaurant reopens in E. coli outbreakFewer cases of E. coli are under investigation in Ontario's Niagara Region, where a restaurant linked to the outbreak has reopened, health officials announced Friday.76% of U.S. shoppers scaling back holiday spending: survey'Tis the season to be thrifty, according to a Consumer Reports survey that suggests 76 per cent of U.S. shoppers plan to scale back their holiday spending this year.Finding work in Alberta now requires more than a pulse: employerAlberta employers once desperate for employees suddenly have the luxury of carefully looking at resumes and assessing skills before handing out jobs.Stick, baby doll, skateboard join Toy Hall of FameThe lowly stick, a universal plaything powered by a child's imagination, landed in the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with the Baby Doll and the skateboard. Consumer Life FeaturesENERGYElectric trucksVancouver's Envia aims to energize fleet vehicles RELATIONSHIPSEconomyEight threats to marriage in an economic downturnSAFETYRecalls and AdvisoriesBLOGFood BytesTightening the belt before dinnerIN DEPTHPersonal financeWhat to do when you can't pay your billsCOMM-ODDITIESLuxuryBangkok hotel dishes out million-dollar mealPeople who read this also read …
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