Move comes after fatal crash on Thanksgiving weekend

Heather Wright/The Independent

Lambton County will add more stop signs along Courtright Line in a bid to improve safety at a number of key intersections.

There have been several calls to improve safety along Courtright Line after a number of accidents in the last two years.

Most recently, two people died on the Thanksgiving Weekend at the corner of Courtright and Mandaumin Line. That prompted Kailey Dalgety to start an online petition to get municipal and county officials to do something about the intersection. Over 2,500 people signed it.

Wednesday, St. Clair Mayor Jeff Agar took up the call at the Lambton County council meeting, asking for the speed limit on Courtright Line to be dropped from 90 km/h to 80 km/h. He noted people drive far faster than the posted limit.

But county councillors didn’t think lowering the speed limit would help.

Instead, Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley suggested more stop signs and flashing overhead lights at the intersections. Brooke-Alvinston Mayor Dave Ferguson likes the idea. Three people have died in his municipality at the corner of Courtright Line and Inwood Road in his municipality over the past two years.

Ferguson says speed is generally not the problem in the accidents, it is people driving through existing stop signs.

He advocated for placing a stop sign on each side of the crossroad instead of just on the right hand side.

“We do have to get more visibility. People using more GPs…they’re a little too comfortably on their wheels, so have to do something a little more visual to catch their attention,” he said.

Ferguson says Brooke-Alvinston has done that at Forest Line with some success.

While Agar advocated for a lower speed limit, he’s happy with the increased safety signage saying he simply wanted to get something done to improve safety along Courtright Line.