Highway 401 Truck Barrier Impact Is Not A Success Story
OPP photo shows a truck engulfed in flames after it struck a construction barrier and rolled over. The impact occurred on Highway 401, reportedly near Winston Churchill Blvd in Mississauga, Ontario on the afternoon of April 12, 2020.
The fact that only minor injuries occurred may seem like a success story, but this is just Russian Roulette. A tractor-trailer struck a construction barrier, rolled over and caught fire on Highway 401 near Winston Churchill Blvd in Mississauga in the afternoon of April 12, 2020. It raised little attention as only Global News covered the story of the OPP Twitter release. In these difficult times of the Corona Virus the comedic response to the news might be that the greatest tragedy was the loss of rolls of paper cargo which were consumed in the fire – perhaps toilet paper. But behind the lack of media attention and sarcastic humour lies a more important issue. This non-incident could have been much more, if not for the luck that a bullet was not in the chamber when we pressed the trigger, only this time.
We spend large sums of money on roadside infrastructure. Not because it is pretty, but because we believe it is functional as it is supposed to reduce costs from damage as well as reducing injuries and deaths. At construction sites concrete barriers are set up to channel vehicular traffic away from work zones so that workers can be safe while also protecting the travelling public from the dangers within the construction zone. The channeling is not just visual, there is a design to those barriers that is supposed to absorb energy as well as to redirect a vehicle’s path while providing a controlled, predictable ride-down. Surely we do not put up just any barrier and cross our fingers that it will do its job. Some scientific study is needed to see how the barrier performs before it is placed in the field. Similarly the arrangement of various notifications must be strictly laid out so drivers approaching a construction site are not surprised by a violation of expectation. When all these matters are done properly vehicles are able to pass through a construction zone with a high degree of success.
Why a truck struck a the construction barrier is unknown. While police have charged the driver with careless driving it is rare that police would examine the layout of the construction site with a reasonable degree of experience and training to come to an accurate understanding whether there was something in that layout that was improper.
Some frames taken from the OPP video of the crash site are shown below.
What is visible in the photos in the aftermath of the crash is that, the truck rode over top of the cushion at the bull-nose of the barrier. This is not uncommon, even though it does nothing to improve the safety of the truck driver. It is also apparent that the truck and trailer became snagged in the barrier system such that the rear wheels and frame of the trailer became detached. What is supposed to happen is that the truck and trailer are to be pressed against the side of the barrier and ride along its length. The friction during this long distance of contact is supposed to bring the vehicle to a gradual and controlled stop. It is apparent that a portion of the truck may have climbed on the concrete barrier and the barrier itself appears to have separated. The truck rotated clockwise and then rolled over to its rest position.
Another concern is that the truck caught fire. Again, this is not a desirable outcome. One can imagine what might happen if the truck was hauling a dangerous cargo that is chemical or explosive. A fire that engulfs the cargo could have huge consequences. While the fire was contained largely at the road tractor this does not mean that all fires will be doused with such success.
In totality, although this collision reportedly resulted in only minor injuries to the truck driver, the consequences could have been much worse. We cannot ignore incidents like these in the belief that they will not come back to haunt us. Persons who like to play Russian Roulette do not live long enough to inform others that it is not a good idea to play will loaded chambers even when some of them are empty.
COVID-19 Effects on Highbury Ave Traffic – Review & Discussion of Data
This article reports on the comparison between traffic prior to the effects of COVID-19 versus after those effects on the Highbury Ave expressway near Commissioners Road in London, Ontario. Data is now available from testing conducted on November 20, 2019 and April 7, 2020. At both times northbound vehicles on Highbury Ave were videotaped passing through a distance of 200 metres approaching the overpass of Commissioners Road, as shown in the figures below.
Overall View of the 200 metre distance on Highbury Ave south of Commissioners Road where vehicle motions were documented.
The view below shows a northbound grey SUV approaching the “Zero” marker at the south edge of the Commissioners Road overpass.
View looking west along the south wall of the Commissioners Road overpass. Red paint on one of the anchor posts of the guardrail is the “zero” point for northbound vehicles approaching the overpass.
View looking west at the “200 metre” marker. As the front end of a vehicle passed by this marker the clock was started until the vehicle reached the “Zero” marker. This enabled an average speed to be calculated over that distance.
View looking south from Camera 1, which was positioned on top of the Commissioners Road overpass. The 200 metre marker can be seen on the right shoulder as vehicles approach the overpass.
This view from Camera 2 , which was also positioned on top of the overpass, documented the vehicle motions as they approached the overpass. It also documented the number of vehicles entering Highbury Ave from the Commissioners Road on-ramp.
In the November 20, 2019 session a total of 565 northbound vehicles were documented in a half hour along this noted 200 metre distance. In contrast, during the April 7, 2020 session, only 296 vehicles were documented in the same half hour duration. The time of the videotaping was similar, commencing at approximately 1215 hours. Simple math indicates that the drop in vehicle traffic was about 47.6%. The Only logical explanation for this decreased traffic is the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The table below provides a comparison of the data taken from the two videotaping sessions. This table indicated the number of vehicles observed to be travelling at certain speed ranges along with the percentage of vehicles travelling within each speed range. Some observations were “unknown” because at several instances the view of vehicles were blocked from view by large trucks. Thus the totals in the table do not coincide exactly with the total number of observations.
The data from the above table has been rearranged in the form of a chart below, showing the percentages of vehicles in each speed range, contrasted between the two videotaping sessions.
What should be clear is that, although the overall number of observed vehicles was reduced in the April 7, 2020 videotaping, the overall speed of those vehicles was increased. In fact, the average speed of all vehicles in the Nov 20, 2019 session was 99.67 kmh, whereas the average speed in the April 7, 2020 session was 105.26 km/h.
The data was broken down further by examining the average speed of vehicles in the right lane versus the left lane. In the November 20, 2019 session the average speed of vehicles in the right lane was 94.75 km/h whereas the average speed in the left lane was 103.19 km/h. In the April 7, 2020 session the average speed in the right lane was 99.16 km/h, whereas the average speed in the left lane was 110.61 km/h.
In summary, the average speed of vehicles would appear to have increased at a time when the number of observed vehicles had decreased between the two sessions. In particular, there was a huge increase in the number of vehicles travelling between 110 and 115 km/h during the April 7, 2020 session. In November 20, 2019, there were only 5.9 % vehicles travelling in this speed range, whereas in April 7, 2020 that percentage rose to 19.59 %. This indicates that, although the effects of the COVID- 19 pandemic may be favourable in reducing the potential number of collisions, this is counteracted by an increase in overall speed of vehicles and this could increase the potential for certain types of collisions.
An example of a potential problem exists at this Highbury Ave site. The City of London has installed signage informing drivers that lanes will be closed, commencing on April 14, 2020, in preparation for rehabilitation work on the bridge crossing the Thames River located a few hundred metres north of the Commissioners Road overpass. Additional factors to consider is that the on-ramp from Commissioners Road onto Highbury Ave contains a large number of vehicles that are entering Highbury to travel northbound toward the bridge. Data indicates that over the half hour of observation on November 20, 2019, 112 vehicles entered Highbury from this on-ramp. Similarly, on April 7, 2020, 90 vehicles were observed to use this on-ramp. This additional traffic causes slowing of traffic in the right lane of Highbury.
This on-ramp is also very short. A measurement from Googlemaps indicates that it ends only about 142 metres north of the Commissioners Road overpass. While the construction of this interchange is rather old, it is slightly newer than similar interchanges along Highway 401 west of London. A selection of the length of these on-ramps is shown below.
Hwy 401 at Union Road = 366 metres
Hwy 401 at Iona Road = 268 metres
Hwy 401 at Furnival Road = 269 metres
Hwy 401 at Orford Road = 273 metres
Hwy 401 at Victoria Road = 381 metres
Hwy 401 at Kent Bridge Road = 411 metres
The average length of on-ramps from these six examples is 328 metres and this is more than double the 142 metre length of the on-ramp on Highbury Ave at the Commissioners Road overpass. This makes it more challenging for drivers to enter the expressway without interference.
Furthermore, while overall traffic volume has diminished by almost 50 % the data indicates that overall northbound truck traffic has not been reduced to the same degree. In the November 20, 2019 session 42 trucks were observed whereas in the April 7, 2020 session 38 trucks were observed. This results in an increased percentage of trucks from 7.43 % in the Nov/19 session to 12.84 % in the Apr/20 session. These trucks drive primarily in the right lane thus they present an additional problem. With the increase in the numbers of long “truck trains” it becomes more difficult for vehicles to enter an expressway when there is a short on-ramp.
Example of the northbound truck train passing the 200 metre marker on Highbury Ave on April 7, 2020. Such long units make it difficult for vehicles to enter the expressway on the short on-ramp of Commissioners Road.
Furthermore, Highbury Ave begins a substantial downgrade northward from Commissioners Road and such downgrades typically result in increased speeds as well as more difficulty in bringing vehicles to a stop. Even on level surfaces it is common for rear-end impacts to occur on the approach to construction zones on high speed expressways. When the City of London closes one northbound lane this will create traffic back-ups. These back-ups are likely to occur along the downgrade and in the vicinity where additional traffic is entering the expressway from the Commissioners Road on-ramp. When these factors are combined with the higher speeds that have been created from the COVID-19 effect, the potential for increased collision rates must be considered. Thus the COVID-19 effect of increasing vehicle speeds may not be a significant problem on its own. However, when it is combined with other factors such as the downgrade and the on-ramp traffic, the combined effect needs to be recognized.
Electronic Sign posted on on April 3, 2020 on Highbury Ave just north of the Thames River Bridge indicating upcoming construction activity.
View on April 7, 2020 looking north just north of the Commissioners Road overpass showing an electronic sign informing drivers that the northbound lanes of Highbury Ave will be reduced in in preparation for work on the Thames River bridge located further in the background.This portion of Highbury Ave contains a significant downgrade.
In summary while the COVID-19 pandemic has likely produced an overall reduction in the potential of collisions, the effect never-the-less needs to be examined and understood since unique problems can be generated.
COVID-19 Effects on Highbury Ave Traffic in London Ontario
View looking south along Highbury Ave in London, Ontario from the overpass on Commissioners Road. This view was taken on April 7, 2020 and shows the minimal traffic. Gorski Consulting is making a comparison to a similar videotaping session conducted on November 20, 2019.
Traffic on Highbury Ave videotaped on November 20, 2019 has been compared with a similar videotaping session on April 7, 2020. This work is being done for a number of reasons. But the obvious fact is that traffic volume has been reduced due to the effects of the lockdown from the worldwide Corona Virus pandemic. This difference in traffic volume should cause differences in the interactions of traffic and the numbers and types of collisions. It may demonstrate what could be achieved in the future if motor vehicle traffic is reduced and active transportation is increased. Stay tuned as we release some of our data from this testing in the next few days.
COVID-19 Virus Effects on Traffic on Clarke Road in London Ontario
This is a southward view of the S-Curve on Clarke Road north of Fanshawe Park Road in London, Ontario. It is a frame taken from videotaping on March 27, 2020. The lack of vehicles was not difficult to show as there were many occurrences where absolutely no vehicles could be seen on the road.
Traffic volume reductions on Clarke Road in north-eastern London, Ontario continue to demonstrate the effect that the Corona Virus has on the functioning of our society. This site has been monitored for the past 10 years and a number of articles have been posted on its characteristics including traffic volumes. The current data was obtained between 1530 and 1730 hours on March 27, 2020.
For the two-hour, videotaping session the total number of observed northbound vehicles was 579, and southbound vehicles were 372, or a total of 951 vehicles for both directions. During this time 24 northbound trucks and 27 southbound trucks were observed, or a total of 51 trucks for both directions. This leads to the observation that the percentage of truck traffic was only 5.36 %.
Comparison to Previous Years
Traffic volume data is available from the years 2009 and 2019 for the half hour between 1600 and 1630 hours. Thus if we select the same time for the March 27, 2020 session we can compare the results to the previous years.
The table below shows the northbound traffic volume results of four videotaping sessions in the fall of 2009 and four videotaping sessions in the fall of 2019. In the last column we have included the results from the latest session in March 27, 2020. As one can see the reduction in traffic volume in the March 27th session is substantial.
A similar table is shown below for all southbound traffic from the same videotaping sessions. Once again the reduction in traffic volume is large.
Next, in the table below, we provide a break-down of just the truck data. This table is for northbound trucks only.
Next is the truck data for southbound trucks.
The data from all nine videotaping sessions are summarized in table below. The cells in this table show, for the half-hour time between 1600 and 1630 hours, the average number of vehicles, both northbound and southbound, that passed through the site. So, for example, in the four sessions from 2009 the average number of non-trucks passing through the site was 234.5 vehicles, in 2019 that average rose to 370.25, but then it dropped in the single 2020 session to just 188 vehicles. A similar comparison is shown for truck traffic.
Thus the total reduction in non-truck traffic between 2019 and 2020 was 49.2%. And for truck traffic the reduction was 56.5%.
Comparison With Highway 401 Sessions At Westminster Drive Overpass
In an article posted earlier this week Gorski Consulting provided data with respect to traffic volume reductions on Highway 401 just south-west of London, Ontario. A summary of that data, collected on March 25, 2020 at the Westminster Drive interchange, in shown in the table below and it is compared to two other sessions conducted in 2018.
Again we see some large reductions in both total traffic and truck traffic compared to the 2018 data.
Discussion
The results from these traffic observations are not surprising given the recent necessity that the general public remain at home and refrain from travelling due to the rapid spread of the Corona virus. Reductions in traffic volume approaching 50%, and perhaps more, seem to exist at the two sites where Gorski Consulting has made observations. It remains to be seen how these changes will affect road safety. With less vehicles on the road one would think that collision numbers should be reduced. Yet a smaller effect might occur when certain drivers, recognizing less interference, increase their vehicle speeds.
Even in this very short period of two or three weeks of social isolation the numbers of serious collisions being reported in the news media in Southern Ontario appear to be reduced. This unofficial observation may be supplemented in the near future with actual, official statistics and then we will see if this observation holds true.
COVID-19 Virus Effects on Highway 401 Traffic in South-Western Ontario
A view looking eastward along Highway 401 from the Westminster Drive overpass, located just west of London, Ontario, on the late afternoon of Wednesday, March 25, 2020.
Gorski Consulting has collected data regarding the change in volume and composition of traffic on Highway 401 since the COVID-19 pandemic has taken effect.
In the fall of 2018 Gorski Consulting conducted a number of 2-hour, videotaping sessions along Highway 401 between London and Tilbury, Ontario. Two of these sessions occurred on Tuesday, October 30th and Sunday, December 2nd.
Location of four sites along Highway 401 where videotaping was conducted by Gorski Consulting in the fall of 2018.
Subsequently another videotaping session was conducted on Wednesday, March 25th, 2020 at a time when social distancing and various closures took effect throughout Ontario. In the 2018 sessions the numbers of vehicles travelling westbound past the Westminster Drive overpass were tabulated along with the numbers of large trucks and buses. This was also done during the March 25, 2020 session. The results of these three sessions are shown in the table below.
Previous articles were posted to the Gorski Consulting website discussing the 2018 videotaping sessions. One of the observations from these sessions was that the volume of heavy trucks on Highway 401 was greatly reduced on weekends and holidays. This reduction can be seen in the above table. The October 30th session occurred on a weekday (Tuesday) and this resulted in observations of 738 westbound trucks, whereas the December 2nd session occurred on a Sunday and it resulted in observations of only 417 trucks. This is a 45 % percent reduction in truck traffic over weekday totals.
View, looking east, showing the traffic conditions on Highway 401 at Westminster Drive on October 30, 2018.
View looking east from the overpass of the Westminster Drive location on Highway 401 showing a video camera that was used to document the volume and composition of westbound traffic on December 2, 2018.
What is interesting is the data for March 25th, which was a weekday (Wednesday) and therefore we should have observed heavy truck traffic similar to the Oct 30th data (738 total trucks). Instead we observed only 417 heavy trucks. This is particularly revealing because the March 25th data was obtained during rush hour, between 1530 and 1730 hours. The October 30th session commenced at about 1320 hours and thus should have been positioned at a time of day when traffic volumes should have been less than rush hour. So the finding of the reduced numbers of heavy trucks in the March 25th session is even more significant.
We can also observe the total number of westbound vehicles in the two 2018 videotaping sessions, 1827 and 1965. These totals include all westbound traffic regardless of whether it is heavy truck traffic or passengers, pick-up trucks, SUVs, vans, etc. Yet the total westbound vehicles in the March 25th session was only 1228. This is a reduction of about 33 to 37 %.
The US-Canadian border was closed about a week before the March 25th session. Only essential truck traffic was being allowed to pass through the border. Any personal trips by private citizens were disallowed. The Westminster Drive location on Highway 401 should represent all those heavy trucks that are travelling toward the US border at the Windsor-Detroit crossing. Furthermore the Westminster Drive location on Highway 401 is just west of the Highway 402 separation from Highway 401. So all those vehicles that might be travelling toward the Sarnia area and its border crossing to the US would be removed from the totals.
This dataset is very small compared to the vast data that is collected by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) at its traffic counters which are located at every interchange of Highway 401. Yet the MTO data is not publicly available so the public remains in the dark about what effects are being experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gorski Consulting data is a flashlight, shining into this enormous, dark cave.
At a time when citizens of Ontario and eastern Canada are shut down in their homes, they are reliant on the movement of goods to keep them fed and safe. When the volume of goods being carried by heavy trucks is reduced by 45% we need to consider what effects this may have over the long term. What goods are not being delivered and will there be shortages that could cause a chain reaction affecting other parts of the economy?
Certainly in the realm of road motor vehicle safety the reduction in all traffic volumes is likely to result in reductions in collisions. That may be so but there is one hiccup in this good news. When traffic volumes are low, those persons who like to travel above the speed limit are likely to increase their speed because there is less interference with their actions. Thus we could see an increase in speeds in that segment of the population of drivers and a possible increase in the number of high-speed, single-vehicle collisions. It remains to be seen whether those speed increases can be detected in any data and how this might change the collision statistics.
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