Mississauga residents can ‘sign up’ to get speeding drivers to slow down

Mississauga residents who want to help slow down speeding drivers in their neighbourhoods can sign up–literally–to do their part.

City of Mississauga officials are encouraging anyone who’s interested to order a free “Slow Down” lawn sign to erect on their property in an effort to deliver the message to lead-footed drivers.

The lawn signs are produced by the City and available to residents who want to do their part to fight speeding and aggressive driving near their homes.

Those who want a sign can call the City’s information line at 3-1-1 to place their order.

City officials say the objective is to encourage safe driving and to lower vehicle speeds on city streets, especially in neighbourhoods where children are playing.

Despite concerted efforts by the City and Peel Regional Police to slow down speeding drivers over the years, it continues to be a problem in Mississauga–particularly in and around school zones.

While the City’s Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) camera program has nabbed numerous speeders the last two years or so, the behaviour continues.

In erecting the “Slow Down” signs, residents must ensure they don’t create any obstruction or hazard for drivers. The signs must only be placed directly on or in front of your property, be set back at least two feet from the curb or road edge, not obstruct the road, median, traffic island, sidewalk, bike path or multi-use trail, be placed three metres or more from a fire hydrant, and be inserted into the ground using the provided wire frame only.

The City, which can remove or relocate signs deemed unsafe, asks residents who use the signs to replace them when:

• the wire frame becomes damaged, bent or dislodged from the ground
• the plastic covering is damaged or removed
• the sign has other safety issues or cannot stay secured into the ground

The initiative is part of the City’s Slow Streets program, which uses temporary traffic calming measures, such as barricades, to slow vehicles down.

The measures will remain in place until the end of October, when winter maintenance activities begin.