Using comparisons only promotes the status quo

One of the best ways to minimize the significance of any concern is to draw a comparison between the issue in question and a similar situation. This is usually done when questions of pay and benefits come up. If someone wonders whether or not administrators of a municipality or large public institutions are being overpaid, they’d soon set straight by a comparison between those pay structures and those in other jurisdictions. This is meant to weaken the critic’s position and it often works.

The same approach can be used to deflect criticism of other matters, such as traffic concerns. We saw Coun. Bonnie Henderson do that this week by suggesting the traffic problems at the intersection of Romeo Street and Delamere Avenue do not match those at Delamere and Mornington Street.

This is convenient but it leaves the first question unanswered: Are there problems at Romeo and Delamere and if so, is there something that needs to be done about them? Forget how these problems stack up against others. Each intersection needs to be evaluated on its own merits or demerits and dealt with accordingly.

Insp. Sam Theocaris of the Stratford Police Service used the same technique this week to toss a wet blanket over concerns raised recently about the safety of the intersection of Ontario Street and C.H. Meier Boulevard. To begin with, he told the Gazette there have been more accidents in the past year at Front Street and Ontario and Romeo and Ontario than at the C.H. Meier corner.

“Six accidents in 12 months at this intersection is extremely low compared to the other intersections in the city,” he said.

To us, one accident every two months at any intersection is significant enough. And try telling Michele Marsh, who was badly hurt when she was hit by an SUV at that corner in May that she shouldn’t worry because other corners are worse.

Statistics don’t tell the whole tale. Maybe there are not more pedestrian injuries at C.H. Meier and Ontario Street because walkers have learned to avoid this very wide intersection.

We are reminded of the Nile and Albert Street intersection woes of a couple years ago. Even though repeated accidents were documented by a neighbour, the city balked at making the corner a four-way stop because apparently not enough accidents had taken place according to the rules.

Eventually, council gave in, the four-way stop was put in and life is good there now.

Throw the statistics sheet away and deal with Ontario and C.H. Meier.