I am writing in response to Erhardt Peper’s opinion on Ontario highway speeds. As a commercial truck driver that has driven close to three million kilometers and has driven throughout most of the eastern part of this continent, I can assure anyone that the speed limits within Ontario are exactly where they should be.

I get paid per load so, in theory, I should benefit from faster speeds, but I am against higher speeds since more road carnage would result.  This can be witnessed by this week’s 80-car pileup on that closed Hwy. 401 just east of Toronto. Higher speed limits would have made the pileup larger as a large number of drivers do not drive according to weather.  I have seen many accidents from my vantage point up high in my truck and in most cases it is tailgating by drivers who want to speed that cause these  types of accidents.

As for Mr. Peper’s point that gridlock is caused by lower speeds, I suggest he would instead study urban sprawl or the development of subdivisions families tend to migrate to for lower housing costs, but then spend 45 minutes to four hours a day commuting to their jobs in the city.

The way to stop gridlock is to live within a 20-minute drive from your work. I know that sounds impractical in many cases, however, that’s what it really boils down to.

Higher speeds limit reaction times, increase road rage, waste fuel and are much worse for the environment than any possible perceived benefit. I have lost count of how many times I have had vehicles speed past me and then have to slam on their brakes to slow down or stop while I stay at my steady speed and either coast by or roll to a stop at the same time.

If Mr. Peper wishes to speed there are many local and provincial police that I thank daily for keeping my family and I safe from those kinds of statistics.

Nick Mouriopoulos, Stoney Creek