Featured Post from CAA Club Group

MEDIA RELEASE: Voting for the CAA Manitoba Worst Roads campaign is now open to all Manitobans

Oct 18, 2022

4 min



Winnipeg, MB, March 9, 2022 – After a winter of straddling icy ruts, Manitobans will soon be playing ‘dodge the potholes’ this spring. Worried about your safety as a cyclist or pedestrian? Think a roadway is poorly designed? Voting is now open for the annual CAA Worst Roads campaign and CAA Manitoba is giving everyone the opportunity to voice their concerns about the bad roads in their community.


“We are very proud to say that this annual advocacy campaign has influenced change for 10 years,” said Heather Mack, Manager, Government and Community Relations at CAA Manitoba. “As we kick off another year of the campaign, we are calling on all Manitobans to vote for their Worst Roads today and join the community of drivers, cyclists, transit riders and pedestrians committed to improving our roads.”

The campaign informs all levels of government which roadway improvements are top of mind for Manitobans, and where improvements could be prioritized. Manitobans can vote on issues ranging from congestion, potholes, poor road signs and the timing of traffic lights to pedestrian and cycling safety.


In 2021, four of the Top 5 Worst Roads were outside of Winnipeg, including Provincial Roads 307, 250, 450 and Trunk Highway 34.


“The key to economic recovery is the investment in roads and supporting infrastructure because when we invest in our roads, we also create jobs,” said Mack. “Throughout the pandemic, our roads have been the arteries used every day to keep essential workers, goods and services flowing. Now more than ever, funding for roadway improvements and proper infrastructure needs to be consistent to ensure that quality and safety is maintained for everyone.”


Potholes and poor road conditions are often the most common issues noted by road users and can cost motorists thousands of dollars in repairs when damage to vehicles is caused. The average cost of repairing pothole damage to a vehicle is more than $300, with some fixes topping $6,000 depending on the make and model of the car. According to the 2019 Canadian Infrastructure Report Card Spending, one dollar on pavement preservation may eliminate or delay spending $6-$10 on costly repairs later.


“As the inventory of vehicles continues to remain scarce due to the global semiconductor chip shortage, more people are now trying to hold on to their cars for longer. Not only can poor roads cause damage to vehicles but they also heavily contribute to the wear and tear of tires and increased fuel consumption which is why the maintenance and quality of our roadways is even more important than ever.”


Success stories over the last 10 years are a result of governments prioritizing infrastructure through multi-year capital investments. Some examples include:


Empress Street, Winnipeg

  • Empress Street was long in the top 10 for worst roads in Winnipeg, last appearing in 2019.
  • In 2021, the City of Winnipeg’s improvements for Empress Avenue were completed, including new pedestrian ramps on Portage Avenue and Empress, and a new bi-directional bike path stemming from the Assiniboine River.
  • St. James Coun. Scott Gillingham said he has wanted to see this project completed since he was first elected in 2014, saying “the residents told me many times that roads were the number one issue, specifically around the Polo Park area, so I'm glad to see this project completed.”

St. James Street, Winnipeg

  • St. James Street was often referred to as “driving on the moon” thanks to numerous potholes and poor patching jobs that rarely survived a season.
  • Add general congestion due to its proximity to Polo Park, and St. James Street also appeared several times on our list, last appearing as No. 6 in 2019.
  • Since 2017, major rehabilitation of St. James Street has been underway, including complete removal of some sections and intersections to be fully replaced. The work is expected to continue for 2022.


Nominations for CAA’s Worst Roads can be cast at caaworstroads.com until April 6. To encourage participants to act on their concerns, they will be entered to win a Grand Prize of a $500 Best Western gift card and $200 Ultimate Dining card; secondary prize of a $500 Olympia Ski and Cycle gift card, along with weekly draws for $50 Ultimate Dining cards.


Once voting is closed, CAA will compile a list of the 10 Worst Roads in Manitoba, along with the Worst Roads in regions across the province. The regional top five lists will help shine further light on the state of local roads in municipalities across Manitoba.

  

CAA will present the list of 2022 Worst Roads to local and provincial officials to help inform future funding and planning decisions. 


The top 10 CAA Worst Roads in Manitoba in 2021 were:  

1. Taylor Avenue, Winnipeg

2. Provincial Road 307

3. Provincial road 250

4. Provincial Road 450

5. Trunk Highway 34

6. Saskatchewan Avenue, Winnipeg

7. St. James Street, Winnipeg

8. Sherwin Road, Winnipeg

9. Waller Avenue, Winnipeg

10. Empress Street, Winnipeg

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3 min

MEDIA RELEASE: Back-to-School Alert: CAA Manitoba Urges Motorists to Drive Responsibly as Student Traffic Increases

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3 min

MEDIA RELEASE: Back-to-School Alert: CAA Urges Drivers to Stay Vigilant in School Zones as Student Traffic Increases

As the new school year kicks off, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) is reminding motorists to remain attentive when driving through school zones as more children are present in these areas. A recent survey conducted by CAA SCO found that 60 per cent of parents surveyed are concerned about the driving behaviours witnessed in their child’s school zone and consider their child’s school zone unsafe – a five per cent increase from last year. “It is no surprise that parents are concerned for the safety of their children; they have the right to get to and from school safely,” says Tracy Marshall, Manager, Community Relations for CAA SCO, “speeding, double parking and stopping in school bus zones are all commonly reported unsafe driving behaviours parents see in their child’s school zones.” As a result, a majority of parents (85 per cent) support reducing speed limits in school zones, with over 77 per cent of these parents agreeing that 30km/h or less is the most appropriate speed limit. Of those surveyed, 68 per cent of parents strongly support the use of Automatic Speed Enforcement (ASE) in school zones, and 79 per cent believe its presence would deter speeding around schools. Additionally, 3 in 4 (73 per cent) consider that ASE should remain permanent in school zones. “Automated Speed Enforcement, along with the presence of police officers and speed bumps, continue to be identified as the primary measures to deter speeding in these zones,” adds Marshall, “through education, we hope to help motorists to make more responsible decisions behind the wheel to protect themselves and those around them.” Tips for responsible driving behaviours in school zone areas: • Help reduce traffic with active school travel: Encourage your kids to walk or wheel to school to ease traffic congestion. If your school is a further distance, CAA SCO encourages parents and guardians to park a block away and walk to school to reduce traffic and make school zones safer. • Put away distractions: Pedestrian safety begins with drivers. It’s important to put away distractions such as phones and be extra attentive in school zones, whether a parent is driving, or a child is walking to school. • Slow down: Know and respect the speed limit in your neighbourhood’s school zones. Give yourself plenty of time to drop off your kids at school to avoid rushing. • Choose a safe spot to drop off and pick up your children from school: Follow your school’s rules and avoid double parking or stopping on crosswalks, dropping off or picking up your kids on the opposite side of the street, and stopping in moving traffic as kids rush out. Instead, use the designated drop-off areas or consider a spot a bit farther away from school that is easily accessible and safe. • Make eye contact with pedestrians: With the excitement of going back to school, anticipate that children may not easily see or hear your moving vehicle, so ensure to make eye contact with pedestrians crossing the road. • Stop for school buses: Never pass a stopped school bus with an activated stop arm and flashing red lights as children get on and off the bus. Passing a school bus as it loads and unloads children – not only is this dangerous, but it’s also illegal. • Watch for CAA School Safety Patrollers: When travelling to and from school, watch for CAA School Safety Patrollers in their lime green safety vests, as they play an important role in ensuring the roadway is safe before kids cross on their own. CAA supports safety in school zones through the CAA School Safety Patrol® program, developed to protect and educate elementary school children on safe road-crossing practices. CAA’s Ontario Road Safety Resource is a toolkit with valuable lesson plans for teachers to help educate students about road safety. To learn more, please visit www.caasco.com/schoolzone. The online survey was conducted by DIG Insights in May 2024, with 1,520 Ontario parents/guardians with children attending school from kindergarten to grade 8. Based on the sample size of n=1,520 and with a confidence level of 95 per cent, the margin of error for this research is +/- 2%.)

3 min

MEDIA RELEASE: A new CAA survey reveals more than half of Ontario motorists engage in dangerous driving behaviours

A recent study on dangerous driving conducted by CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) revealed that more than half of Ontario motorists, 55 per cent, admit to engaging in risky and unsafe driving behaviours in the past year. According to the survey, this number increases to 61 per cent amongst young drivers aged 18 to 34. “Dangerous driving behaviours, such as speeding, distracted driving, and aggressive driving, continue to pose significant risks on our roads,” says Michael Stewart, community relations consultant for CAA SCO. “These actions not only endanger the lives of the drivers themselves but also put all road users at risk. We must prioritize road safety by promoting responsible driving habits." Of those surveyed, the top five dangerous driving behaviours that motorists engaged in are, 1. Speeding (41 per cent) 2. Distracted driving (20 per cent) 3. Unsafe lane changes (9 per cent) 4. Aggressive driving (8 per cent) 5. Running red lights (7 per cent) In contrast, those surveyed say they frequently witnessed others driving dangerously far more often. 1. Speeding (84 per cent) 2. Unsafe lane changes (76 per cent) 3. Aggressive driving (76 per cent) 4. Distracted driving (73 per cent) 5. Running red lights (56 per cent) “The data tells us that it is far more prevalent for people to see others driving dangerously rather than admitting that they themselves are carrying out the same behaviour,” adds Stewart. The survey found that speeding continues to be the leading concern for Ontario motorists, especially on roads with higher speed limits. According to the study, 86 per cent of motorists feel safe on residential streets, compared to only 68 per cent on posted 110-kilometre-per-hour highways. “Ontarians frequently witness dangerous driving behaviours, especially on highways,” says Stewart, “the important thing to remember is that the risk of collision can increase when travelling at higher speeds.” Four out of 10 Ontario drivers will actively avoid roads with ASE Ontario drivers favour stricter fines and penalties to combat the increasing amount of dangerous driving across the province. This year alone, 35 per cent of Ontarians indicated that penalties and fines for speeding and stunt driving have influenced their driving behaviour – up seven per cent from last year. The study also found that more than three-quarters of Ontario drivers (78 per cent) believe that automated speed enforcement (ASE) can help deter drivers from speeding, as 70 per cent of Ontario drivers admit that they will slow down in the presence of an ASE camera. “It is no surprise that Ontario motorists are in favour of stricter penalties as speeding and dangerous driving continue to be an issue,” says Stewart, “what is surprising, however, is that despite the support for ASE, four out of 10 Ontario drivers will actively avoid roads where an ASE is present, an increase from last year.” According to the survey, Ontarians support the presence of ASE on all types of streets, especially near schools (84 per cent) and community centres (81 per cent). A total of 17 per cent of Ontario drivers, equivalent to more than 1.5 million individuals, have received a ticket from an ASE camera in the past. “CAA SCO continues to advocate for road safety for all road users,” says Stewart. “Our hope is that through education and awareness of the repercussions, we can begin to see a steady decrease in dangerous driving across all roads.” For more information, please visit www.caasco.com/speeding The online survey was conducted by DIG Insights from April 1 to April 16, 2024, with 1,509 Ontario drivers aged 18 and older. Based on the sample size of n=1,509 and with a confidence level of 95 per cent, the margin of error for this research is +/- 2%.)

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