Police patrols for private logging roads, says Ontario coroner’s jury

KAPUSKASING, Ont. (August 15, 2001) — A coroner’s jury in Ontario has recommended speed limits and police patrols to reduce accidents and dangerous driving on logging roads.

The inquest was held to examine the death of a truck driver who died in January 2000 when his truck veered off a gravel road near of Hearst, Ont. The jury heard testimony that trucks often travel at speeds faster than the roads are designed to accommodate.

Most logging roads are privately owned and maintained by timber companies; the provincial Highway Traffic Act does not apply to private roads. Thunder Bay, Ont., regional coroner Dr. David Legge, who presided over the inquest, said he hoped the recommendations would lead to new legislation that would extend police authority.

He added that, currently, drivers using private roads may face charges of dangerous driving under the Criminal Code if their actions cause serious injury, and that employers are required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act to ensure truckers operate safely.