To: Dr. Erika Paterson, ENGL 301 Instructor, <erika.paterson@ubc.ca>
From: Gareth Yuen, ENGL 301 Student, <yuentc@student.ubc.ca>
Date: March 15, 2023
Subject: Progress Report
Hello Dr. Erika Paterson,
Per your request in Lesson 2.3, I have written a progress report for my formal report about improving road safety in the West Vancouver residential area. This email memo will include all the necessary contents, such as the intended audience, purpose, significance, objectives, research plan, and writing schedule for the formal report.
Intended Audience:
The audience of this report is the West Vancouver Council, including the mayor of West Vancouver and six councilors, as they are the elected decision-making body for the West Vancouver district.
The Purpose:
The purpose of the formal report is to investigate and propose a solution to solve the speeding problem in West Vancouver by examining Stevens Drive, a street where there are radar speed signs warning motorists when they are speeding. However, since speeding still occurs often on Stevens Drive, I suggest the implication of a speed camera to discourage motorists from speeding on Stevens Drive, where there are pedestrian crossings, golf courses, and connected school zones. Thus, this report investigates the effectiveness of speed cameras and West Vancouver’s residents’ opinion of them in solving the speeding problem.
The Significance:
This report is important in addressing the issues of speeding in West Vancouver, road safety is a global concern, and it is up to the local government and enforcement to keep the road safe. However, there cannot be constant road patrols to ensure that speed limits are followed. Since speeding motorist ignores even radar speed signs, there needs to be an alternative way to enforce speed limits for the sake of road safety for motorist and pedestrians.
Objectives:
- To investigate the cost-effectiveness of speed cameras regarding installation and fine
- To investigate the effectiveness of speed cameras in discouraging speeding
- To investigate and propose alternative methods to discourage speeding, in addition to radar speed signs and speed traps
Research Plan:
To effectively propose a possible solution to speeding in the West Vancouver residential area, I intend to:
- Research articles online regarding speed camera and their effectiveness and popularity.
- Distribute the survey to residents of West Vancouver through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to increase sample size and to conduct the survey in the West Vancouver community center in person.
- Analyze the data gathered from the surveys and identify any trends and patterns that can indicate the general public opinion and attitude toward speed cameras. The survey can be found here.
- Cross-reference data gathered from surveys to article entries regarding speed camera’s public opinion and attitude.
Writing Schedule:
- March 18: Upon approval of the survey, I will begin the survey distribution and set a date for an in-person survey session
- March 16 to March 24: Research article regarding speed cameras and monitor survey collection progress
- March 24 to March 29: Analyze and interpret the gathered data to start drafting a formal report
- March 29: Submit the draft of the formal report
- April 2 to April 5: Edit the draft after receiving a peer review
- April 10 to April 12: Complete the final edits and review the formal report before final submission
Survey Questions: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9QyZzBnqCzHBJZA
Thank you for taking the time to read my memo, I look forward to your feedback.
Survey
Purpose of the Survey
I am an undergraduate student at UBC engaged in a technical writing project. This survey aims to
obtain primary data for analysis and investigation regarding the road safety issue of regular speeding in the West Vancouver residential area. The final formal report will be addressed to the West Vancouver Council. Together with the articles about speed cameras analyzed, the data I gather from this survey will propose a solution to the speeding problem in the West Vancouver residential area. The survey contains 11 questions, and it should take less than 5 minutes of your time. Your responses are voluntary and anonymous regarding privacy concerns. Your generous participation in my survey is greatly appreciated, thank you.
Questions
1. Is speeding a public road safety hazard?
- No
- Yes
2. Is there a speeding problem in West Vancouver?
- Definitely not
- Probably not
- Might or might not
- Probably yes
- Definitely yes
3. Are you familiar with Stevens Drive in West Vancouver?
- No
- Yes
4. Are you aware of the existence of radar speed signs and their purpose in Stevens Drive?
- No
- Yes
5. Are the radar speed signs useful in terms of warning motorists to lower their speed for road safety?
- Definitely not
- Probably not
- Might or might not
- Probably yes
- Definitely yes
6. Do you know what a speed camera is? (A speed camera is a camera that can automatically take a picture
of a car that is exceeding the indicated speed limit for law enforcement)
- Yes, After reading the question
- Yes, before reading the question
7. Can speed cameras discourage speeding?
- Definitely not
- Probably not
- Probably yes
- Definitely yes
8. Will people only slow down to avoid speed cameras but continues to speed otherwise?
- Definitely not
- Probably not
- Might or might not
- Probably yes
- Definitely yes
9. Do you think a speed camera will be a violation to privacy?
- Definitely not
- Probably not
- Might or might not
- Probably yes
- Definitely yes
10. How much should the fine be if a motorist is caught speeding by a speed camera?
- Lower than being caught by police
- Same as being caught by police
- Higher than being caught by police
11. Would you support the installation of speed cameras in West Vancouver to prevent speeding and why?
- Text block answer