OTA looks to tackle road safety in a roundabout way

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TORONTO, Ont. — The Ontario Trucking Association’s (OTA) board of directors has approved the funding of a study to examine designs for roundabouts that would be conducive to the operation of various truck configurations operating on the province’s roads. The OTA says civil engineers typically support the construction of roundabouts as a benefit to road safety and a more efficient means of moving traffic.
 
“OTA cannot keep track of and provide analysis on every potential roundabout construction project in the province. Nor is it necessarily appropriate that OTA should, as a matter of course, be opposed to roundabouts. However, it is appropriate and proactive for OTA to take the position that municipalities should ensure that new roundabouts will accommodate all truck configurations,” said Geoff Wood, vice-president of operations and safety at the OTA.
 
OTA will be distributing the discussion paper to organizations like the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Ontario Good Roads Association and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and asking them to share this work with their members.
 
Government entities, associations or OTA members interested in obtaining a copy of the OTA research on the subject can e-mail otapublicaffairs@ontruck.org.

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  • It seems to me that the presumption of the article is that engineers don’t already design modern roundabouts to accommodate large vehicles. This seems absurd. Standard design manuals already in existance provide such guidance. Are we sure how a large truck is supposed to drive a modern roundabout has been communicated?

  • As a trucker, I hate them. People just don’t know how to drive in them. I’ve seen them change lanes or keep going around in the outside lane. There is one by Bridal Veil Falls in B.C. They had to put road bricks down as the circle was made too small and truckers were tearing up the center because trailers had to track on the grass. As far as I’m concerned, a traffic light is a better option as it controls the four wheelers better. I’ve been cut off or had to watch the inside lane because cars try to get inside my trailer.

  • Being involved in the over the road transportation of oversize and weight commodities I have great concerns. I am not opposed to Roundabouts providing they are correctly designed and accurately constructed. I have
    witnessed new roadway roundabouts that are totally useless and unsafe. We must realize with roundabouts one size is not a fit all or suitable for all applications, one designed for a residential community is totally inadequate on a truck route. Many designed two lane roundabouts do not take into consideration the overall length and weight of a modern 75 foot
    tractor trailer’s tracking requirements. The entry and exit lanes are too
    close to the centre of the roundabout, as the unit enters the outside lane
    and turns to follow the narrow radius the trailer wheels automatically track onto the inside lane or travel over the built up area in the centre.
    This is much more evident with overlength vehicles and cargo.

    Especially roundabouts on highways that are designed for the movement of oversize and/or overweight goods. Many that can’t be transported on major highways such as Ontario’s QEW and 400 series highways due to the limited height and width clearances of their permanent overhead structures. Construction of inadequate roundabouts on Highways #5,6,52,53,56, Highway 20 and Centennial Parkway will be an immense detriment to these Unrestrcted high wide load routes connecting Hamilton to other routes that serve Ontario.

    As a half century member of OTA, I congratulate OTA on their initiative
    to ensure the continued safety of all users of Ontario highways and the continued competitive and the safe expedited movements of all goods and transportation equipment

    Leon Sauers

  • I have experienced roundabouts on county and state roads in the U.S. and I get the heebee jeebees every-time. First of all 4 wheelers are always going twice as fast as you and it takes forever to block the adjacent lane to make the turn because we need 3 lanes to complete a turn.

    I don’t know what to think about this one. It seems like a job creation project for people that have never driven a truck. I grew up near a roundabout on the QEW and at least once a month a truck would roll over.”FREE FOOD”. Once we got free beer after a truck rolled it.