Increasing danger on roads

It seems as though today's motorists are for the most part, simply entitled, enraged, steering wheel holders.

The recent enforcement of distracted drivers due to electronic device use is doing little to nothing to change attitudes of today's drivers. Device distractions are just the tip of the iceberg! Try to drive somewhere and get to your destination without experiencing a near miss, or inattentive driver. Far too often will you see someone driving in the dark with only running lamps on at best. They are too dependent on technology to pay any attention to the bright green light in the dash indicating running lamps are only on. Auto manufacturers are being blamed for this as dash clusters are always illuminated, but inattentive drivers are the root cause of this negligence. I'm sure we all can agree to the dangers involved in driving with no lights on at night, or during inclement weather.

Another example that tends to be clearly apparent during this season is the "hop in the car, flick the wipers, and go" attitude when we are experiencing a snowfall. Firstly, this is a region that experiences snowfall every winter, be prepared, don't blame the weather for inconveniencing you. If you can't properly clear the snow off your windows and lamps at the very least, you can't safely operate a vehicle, and should be penalized for this negligence. 

Also, the "me first" attitude that seems to be bred in our nearby major cities has taken hold of our regions driving attitudes. It's almost a daily occurrence that I will refer commuting in this region as "going to battle" with the majority of other drivers. Why do you need to be doing 25+kph over the speed limit on every road? Is it because you didn't plan ahead and are going to be late for that appointment or job? Or is it just simply because you are oblivious to the speed you are travelling and 10 feet off the vehicle in front of you is where you need to be and nobody is going fast enough for you. How about that next traffic light, you had better race to get there first cutting off anyone who is in your way, because lo and behold you are entitled to be there ahead of everyone else! Oh and during that process, don't bother using your signals, other motorists don't need to know your intentions! The scariest part of it all, is that today's new drivers are being bred with these same attitudes, as they tend to be some of the most aggressive drivers out there. 

With ICBC suffering major financial losses, partially to blame on political pocket stuffing, the majority of the costs are being driven up due to driver attitudes. I believe that if, in addition to the skills test portion of the licensing process, that they add on a psychological assessment to see if these new drivers are mentally fit to be safely operating motor vehicles. It may start a shift of attitudes in the right direction with motorists, saving us all by reducing the costs and loss of life we are currently burdened with.

Danny Bouliane