Viewpoint

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.

The disposal of beer cans and bottles out of vehicle windows along the twenty mile stretch of road between the main highway cut off and the Port Alice mill is not only a sad commentary about the local transient population, but it also means that an immense amount of drinking and driving has been going on. This has been occurring for many years with no attempt at correction.

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.

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 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 in it's operation. Finally, you take a test to see if you too have basic proficiency in it's operation. If you pass, the supervisor lets you use the machine with minimal oversight as you see fit.

"Professional Courtesy" is common to the medical profession where que jumping is effected for medical appointments, etc., for medical professionals. Please comment on an equivalent courtesy which may be offered by law enforcement agencies for non criminal offences such as speeding or minor traffic infractions of firemen, armed forces personnel and others.

Last week I received an e-mail from a young lady who was a student at a university in eastern Canada. She was involved in a traffic safety program on the campus that aimed to make it more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. She said that they had posted a number of new signs and painted some crosswalks but the drivers largely ignored them and drove the way they always did, which wasn't courteous to other types of road users.

Advertising is a concern for all businesses. It is meant to draw attention to the business and encourage customers to visit and spend their money on the products and services offered. Many businesses take advantage of company vehicles to act as a moving billboard by placing graphics on the outside. What kind of advertising is your business vehicle doing?

I have just returned from a visit to Montreal, and the driving behaviour that I saw there made me wonder about traffic rules. Why do we have them? If they are worth having, why don't drivers follow them?