Martyn Williams, Author at Nova Scotia Advocate

What matters more, traffic flow or human lives?

November 8, 2018 4 Comments

We have seen seven accidents where cars hit pedestrians since last Friday, two of those incidents happened on well-mrked crosswalks. “How important is making sure pedestrians are fully protected at crosswalks versus the need for traffic flow? My view is that improving or maintaining traffic flow at any location is not worth a single life-affecting injury or death. When a friend or family member is hit and is injured, that priority becomes very clear,” writes Martyn Williams.

Make saving human lives rather than traffic flow the priority in the new Traffic Safety Act

October 25, 2018

In Nova Scotia pedestrians and cyclists are particularly vulnerable to accidents. It doesn’t need to be that way, writes Martyn Williams. There are things we can do beyond increasing some fines, other countries have done so, and it is paying off.

Three simple ways to make Halifax crosswalks safer

October 4, 2018 8 Comments

How many more pedestrians must be hit before our municipality acts and we reduce bloodshed on our streets? Martyn Williams offers up three simple solutions that will save lives.

Long story short: Stalemate on slower speeds between Halifax and Province is killing us

September 26, 2018

Lower speed limits, although not a panacea, mean fewer accidents, and fewer pedestrian deaths. Both City and Province agree that lowering speeds is a positive move, yet a standoff about jurisdictional authority is stopping implementation. “Not at all satisfactory for parents who need to head off to work before their children walk to school alone, or for the pedestrians regularly hit on our crosswalks,” writes Martyn Williams

Road safety in Nova Scotia: Not just a problem, it’s a crisis

September 4, 2018 2 Comments

Too many lives are lost or ruined through traffic accidents, writes Martyn Williams. “Who in local and provincial governance will stand up and admit that road safety in Nova Scotia is not a problem, it is a crisis?”

Road safety plan offers fabulous graphics but fails to make Halifax roads safer

July 17, 2018

Unfortunately, Halifax’s new Road Safety Plan isn’t living up to its billing, writes safe streets activist Martyn Williams, who suggests some simple solutions that were successful elsewhere and would go a long ways in making getting out and about in Halifax both safer and more enjoyable for all.

We can do better than Nova Scotia’s No Frills crosswalks

April 17, 2018

Safe streets activist Martyn Williams takes a closer look at the flawed and dangerous crosswalks in Halifax and elsewhere in the province. Crosswalks here have many inherent dangers – wide four or even five lane crosswalks with high overhead lights which are sometimes not seen by drivers, signalized intersections where traffic has a green light to turn left into the road which has the walk sign on, right turns on a red, and crosswalks which have overhead lit signs but no flashing lights. It doesn’t have to be this way.