Howland Russell
of Nepean asks, “Why is it not standard practice to erect road signs
that organize traffic into appropriate lanes well prior to exits,
highway splits, etc.?” The crucial issue here is how far ahead is
far enough. If we’re driving in new or vaguely remembered territory,
more help is needed than along roads we know well. When there are
too few signs approaching certain exits, you’ll find a lot of
last-minute lane changing. At highways speeds, even a little chaos
can cause danger as well as congestion.
You know what
might help? Lane markings. You know what else might help? A country
where roads aren’t subject to snow, salt and ploughs. In warm places
like California, the pavement itself is a tool for getting drivers
organized in the correct lane long before they need to be -- even an
arrow or highway number helps.
But this is
Canada, not Xanadu, and we’re stuck with signs. The most useful are
overhead signs, with arrows pointed directly at each lane. The
arrows should line up straight, but many seem more like vague
gestures. You’d think strict guidelines would require advanced
warning markers at specific distances, but it’s not that easy.
Our driving
environment is indeed governed by several thick rule books, some
with hideously dull titles. Traffic engineers have to abide by
Uniform Traffic Codes and tomes that spell out the ideal geometry of
roads and interchanges. In reality, highways adapt to natural and
man-made geography, turning rules into hopeful suggestions.
In Canada, it
seems there is no firm minimum requirement for advanced signage.
Sure, there are exacting measurements for how big, or precisely what
colour shade a sign must be, but not how well they aid drivers. Dave
McCusker, the manager of regional transportation in Halifax as well
as the chair of a national committee on traffic operations, says
driving decisions are affected by speed and “sight distance” -- how
far ahead motorists can actually see.
Since each exit
or highway split is unique, the placement of directional signs is
more art than science. McCusker says engineers must discern “what a
driver would need” in each situation. And yes, you can have too much
information. Some urban highways have too many exits, or are too fat
to accommodate a lot of overhead warnings. It costs a lot to suspend
structures across four or six lanes, so the next best (read cheap)
option is the roadside sign -- which only help those in adjacent
lanes. In Ontario, complex urban expressways use a combination of up
to three overhead signs to assist drivers in choosing the correct
lane to exit. Bob Nichols of Ontario’s ministry of transportation
says that if the exiting lane is a "must exit," then the advance
sign will also display a yellow exit box to show which lanes lead
off the freeway.
When things get
really hairy, you may see a diagrammatic sign -- visually depicting
which lanes go where. My favourite is placed at the top of Toronto’s
Don Valley Parkway, just at the 401. The Giant Squid is great to
look at -- if you can. Instead your eyes are on the road, where
drivers have already become lost and are careening around like kids
looking for Easter candy.
Alas, it seems
only complaints can alert the authorities to instances of unfair
warning -- and for that you will need your blue pages and some
perseverance. Some provincial highway ministries have online
complaint forms, but until governments across Canada start offering
the 511 transportation hotline, you will have to do some research
just to alert them to a potential problem.
Contact me via
www.nationalpost.com/trafficguru/
Ed Drass,
National Post
edrass@nationalpost.com