Members of Serpent River First Nation took their message of speeding in their community to motorists on Highway 17 on Friday afternoon with a two-hour information rally.
And the message was clear: Serpent River First Nation citizens want motorists to understand that the 70 km/h speed limit means what is posted.
The busy trans-Canada highway goes through a good portion of the community and protesters set up an information stop in front of the tribal council building, gas station and convenience store and trading post. Rally attendees handed out pamphlets asking motorists to “Please Slow Down”.
The event was initiated by Serpent River First Nation in response to a September incident in which a 20-year-old band member was injured in a hit-and-run incident, said chief Elaine Johnston. The man was not seriously injured, the chief added, but concerns about speeding on the stretch of highway has been top of mind for the community for many years.
It seems even more so, Johnston said, since the roadway was resurfaced and turning lanes added last year. The speed limit was set at 70 km/h last year, but it hasn’t stopped speeders using Highway 17.
The concern among Serpent River First Nation citizens is not only for pedestrians using the side of the highway to get around in their community but also for motorists.
“We’ve had a lot of people using this highway and we’ve had a lot of near misses,” the chief said of issues brought to the attention of the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) which eventually agreed to a speed reduction.
MTO also conducted speed checks of vehicles travelling the stretch and found one per cent compliance with the posted speeds, said Chief Johnston.
Community members have stories about some of the near misses, she said.
One involved a school bus that had stopped with lights flashing and the stop sign extended to let a child off being passed by a transport truck. Fortunately, Johnston said the child had not exited the bus at the time.
“I’ve had people passing me on lanes that are turning lanes,” she added. “Our kids are saying, 'We don’t feel safe.'”
The chief said she did her own survey of traffic and found 150 transports trucks travelled on Highway 17 within an hour. Her survey did not take into account other vehicles travelling the same stretch of highway.
OPP attended the event to maintain traffic control as motorists were slowed down and received pamphlets.
Statistics from the OPP show the stretch from the turnoff to St. Joseph Island to Spanish has seen five traffic fatalities so far this year and 62 personal injuries. There have been 261 collisions along the same stretch of highway so far this year.
Johnston and OPP Constable Beverley Gautier said they hope the information being handed out will make more motorists aware of the speed reduction and pedestrians using the sides of the highway in the area.