We are an affluent society. Teens today own vehicles in numbers only dreamed about when I was that age. Often their disposable income doesn't end there and many dollars are spent on vehicle modifications and improvements.
As with everything else in our lives, the cost of not wearing a seatbelt is going up again. On April 18th the "bill" will $138 instead of $109. Of course, there will still be the $25 discount for early payment, but $113 is a lot of money to have to part with!
The only thing I wanted for my 16th birthday was my driver's licence. My father took time off of work to drive me to what was then called the Motor License Office where I earned my learner's. It was a big day in my life, and marked the first milestone in joining the world of the adult.
One would think that wearing a seatbelt would be an automatic habit for today's drivers and their passengers. The seatbelt law has been in place for many years and the benefits of being properly buckled up have been clearly demonstrated.
I'm a bit surprised that I have never dealt with the subject of cell phone use while driving in this column. There has been ample opportunity, from observing drivers while I am at work, to reading reports about it from safety researchers, your suggestions, and even a comment from the judiciary about clamping down on drivers who use them when they drive.
I have just returned from a visit to Montreal, and driving behaviour that I saw there gave me a lot to think about. No one came to a full stop at a stop sign unless it was to avoid a collision with traffic already there. If you did stop and did not immediately proceed, the driver behind you honked the horn.
Sometimes the simplest questions can make you think. I was asked if radar detectors were legal in British Columbia by a work experience student I had taken out on patrol. The answer is, yes, they are.
The student paused to think this through. Speeding is illegal was the next observation. Yes, that's true also.