The Festive Season’s Lack Of Tolerance

I love getting pulled over by R.I.D.E. (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere). The reason is simple. I never have anything to worry about. I will not get into a car if I have had a drink. That’s all. It is 100% fool proof.

The police cannot be tricked or deceived. They are experts. They see it all the time, because they can penetrate the world of problem people at any time on any day. That is one of the reasons why we have police in the first place.

We need special people in public service with special skills who make it their duty to protect the rest of us from the few transgressors who could have the most profound negative effect on our lives. All it takes, for one brief moment, is a distracted driver to lose their concentration and a 4,000 pound vehicle can go out of control and turn into a weapon of impersonal destruction.

At this time of year, the Peel Police department operates a Festive Season program which operates everyday from the end of November to the beginning of the New Year. They are committed to a zero tolerance policy. Unfortunately, drinking and driving continues to be one of Ontario’s most significant, road safety issues. More than 2,000 people have been killed in the past decade in collisions involving a “drinking driver.”

The annual financial cost to society is estimated to be at least $3 billion dollars in health care fees, insurance payments, emergency response expenses and damages to property.

We have enough to worry about as it is. Drivers turning left on Lakeshore where there are no left turn lanes can make you crazy during the crunch, commute hours. What usually happens is the first one stuck behind the turning vehicle is the absolute last one to get clear. This can often lead to road rage, which unfortunately seems to be getting worse and closer to home every day. A cool head is the only way to get home safely.

Yes, it’s true there are speeders, maniacs, and insensitive, unaware brutes as well as slow-pokes, sub-human, sub-creatures and the poor lost souls who have just arrived by interstellar photonic transit, but if we just swim in the stream together and collaborate we get home safe and sound.

Granted, one of the worst spots right now is the Stavebank intersection, but recent studies indicate we are getting closer to having a solution. Over the last couple of years four alternatives have been considered. There was the “do nothing” version, the “one way(southbound traffic)” version, the road “realignment” version and the “full intersection improvement” version.

The solution, however, has enormous concerns with the water and environment including utilities, sewers, pipes, plants and trees, let alone land acquisition, heritage architecture, and alsow technical considerations and associated costs.

As of June of this year, the realignment version is the one selected and October 30 was the deadline for written concerns to be submitted.

In the meantime, as we head toward December and the holidays, try to be patient, obey the traffic signals (even if you can’t read those flashing countdown lights after dark) and be kind and generous on the road. That’s how we can try to avoid sad stories and bad news. Be safe this year. Arrive alive. Don’t drink and drive.