As you make your way down Main Street in your vehicle, the guy in front of you, the one driving the truck with the right signal light flashing as he creeps along Main Street at 30 km/h — The same guy who suddenly hits the brakes, changes his signal to left and waits as oncoming traffic blocks his chances time and time again to perform an illegal U-turn across a solid yellow line to get the parking stall in front of Twintel — Yep. That guy. For him, and many like him, the law won’t mean squat. For them, it’s the actual driving that is a distraction to the rest of the things they are trying to do in their oh-so busy lives.
The province’s new distracted driving legislation gives teeth to what is generally considered common sense — and what can specifically be called stupidity.
Holding a licence, owning a vehicle and motoring about on provincial, municipal and private roads is a privilege. But for too many drivers — and our community seems to have more than the provincial average — poor driving habits are a way of life.
The same people who roll through intersections at the Fountain Tire 4-way stop, are the same ones who come to a complete stop the Aurora Theatre intersection even though they aren’t on the road with stop signs. Or the folks who drive pick-up trucks as though they’re at the wheel of an 18-wheel rig. Why do you need to swing into my oncoming lane of traffic to slip into a parking stall at the Post Office? High beam headlights at night, no headlights at night, backing into traffic without checking for cars, snail’s pace cruising, seven-second delay as the traffic lights turn green, blinking signal lights, waiting, and waiting for someone to go as two vehicles come to an intersection where one is turning and one is going straight, the 18-year-old driving the rusted-out Mazda sedan with the ‘thump-thump’ of Ghostface Killah blaring out of the speakers and from every rust hole on the car’s body, or the young lady in the Jackie O sunglasses that are as big as her face who is fussing with her hair as the light burns green in front of her.
These drivers are all clearly distracted …without picking up a cell phone, texting or programming their GPS as they drive.
It’s a shame the new law can’t regulate stupidity.