Like too many others, I found myself in a life-threatening situation on Strathcona Parkway, Vancouver Island, while returning from a camping trip on August 8, 2024. Our bus brakes failed us, causing the bus to lose control while descending the very steep hill leading to Highway 19 at exit 130. Only our emergency brakes narrowly averted catastrophe—50 of us, travellers on that bus, were on the brink of barreling through the highway at full speed. 

It is a harsh reality that vehicle brakes can fail. Especially on downhill, where the risk exponentially increases, as does the fatality of potential accidents. More specifically, roads like Strathcona Parkway, known for its precarious steep descent to Highway 19, offer no safety nets for such incidents. This road's design leaves much room for error or mechanical failure. It is high time to address this dangerous gap in our road safety.

By establishing a runaway lane on this hill, we can create a secondary safety measure - a safety net for when vehicles' primary safety systems fail. This strategy has successfully prevented accidents on numerous steep roads worldwide and in B.C. alone, so it is high time we adopt it to protect travellers on Strathcona Parkway.

Dangerous roads necessitate extra precautions. Implementing a runaway lane on the Strathcona Parkway hill could be the difference between life and death in situations of brake failures. This would not only serve as a potential defensive measure to maintain the safety of its passengers, but would also ensure no one else suffers a horrifying experience like mine.

Join us as we ask the authorities to take our safety concerns under consideration and establish a runaway lane on Strathcona Parkway's steep hill. Sign this petition and make a conscious decision to secure a safer ride for everyone. Let's make a noticeable change that can save lives and prevent trauma. Sign the petition now!