DriveSmartBC

I've "met" many interesting people in the past year in the course of writing my weekly road safety article. Whether you read it in your local newspaper, through your e-mail, by visiting the DriveSmartBC web site, tweeting with @DriveSmartBC or posting on DriveSmartBC's wall on Facebook you have all taken the opportunity to state your views, ask for advice or make suggestions for future stories. I appreciate that you have taken the time to share with me.

I watched a recent television news story about a traffic collision that interviewed family members exiting the courthouse. One of the people lamented that if the known bad driver had been prohibited from driving the whole incident that brought them there never would have happened. If only it were that simple, because a driver will only stop driving after being prohibited if they want to comply with the law.

I often ask if anyone has been directly affected by a collision in the past year when I am making a presentation to a group. I can see people thinking about it and then a few hands may tentatively rise. My answer usually surprises them and it may surprise you as well.

Thoughts that make you go "hmmm..." This article by Eric de Place looks at civic government and the laws for the provision of parking at businesses. Why do they mandate parking at drinking establishments? Perhaps parking should be forbidden there, after all, we don't want people to drink and drive!

Our new impaired driving penalties appear to be getting the word out: drinking and driving is not acceptable here in B.C. If you do and are caught, it will be a long road to travel in order to restore your driving privileges. So be it, you knew that there could be consequences when you turned the key.

For twenty five years I was expected to arrive at work regardless of the road conditions. After all, as a constable I was one of the people expected to be ready to help out if something happened on the highway. Like me, I am guessing that most of us feel obligated to arrive at our jobs ready to work even if the road conditions are terrible due to bad weather.

If I could give all of you one gift this Christmas it would be a year's worth of safe driving. For those of us here in British Columbia that would mean more than one driver a day would not die, 66 people would not be injured and 127 property damage collisions would not occur. Imagine that.

Enforcement action against drivers having a blood alcohol content over 50 mg% (.05) began in 1977 here in British Columbia. In my view, it didn't become a marked deterrent until the recent significant penalty increases imposed by amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act. People are finally making the choice not to drink and drive in numbers that are easily visible.

Imagine if you will a machine that almost anyone can buy and operate. You read the training manual, practice it's use under the supervision of someone who is also a user and has some proficiency of it's operation. Finally, you take a test to see if you too have basic proficiency in it's operation.

"You don't care about safety! All you guys want to do is suck money out of my pocket!" Here was a speeder that was very definite in his opinion and not afraid to state it. He was wrong, I did care about safety, but my traffic cop toolbox didn't contain many officially sanctioned options for dealing with it.