Road Safety Week

Canada Road Safety Week will run from May 17 to May 24, 2005. The program, developed by the RCMP, Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Transport Canada and many other traffic safety agencies was created to focus attention on safe driving practices. It is timed to coincide with the first holiday long weekend of the summer when we all start to think about travel for our own enjoyment.

The key messages are those that we are all very aware of: don't drink and drive, always use seatbelts and child restraints and always pay attention, especially at intersections. It amounts to not putting yourself at risk through making a poor choice, reducing the risk of injury or death by protecting yourself and minimizing the risk presented by other drivers. That's something we do every time we get behind the wheel, isn't it?

What would a road safety campaign be without targeted enforcement activities by the police? Expect road checks to find drinking drivers and unrestrained vehicle occupants. Expect to be monitored when you travel through an intersection. Expect to receive a ticket if you don't follow the rules. You are already a safe driver you say? Then don't worry about a ticket, worry about the other drivers out there who don't worry about you!

The other component of the campaign is education. Please take a moment and visit ICBC's web site at this URL: http://www.icbc.com/Licensing/drivingtips/tips_index.html The page contains a variety of tips presented by driver examiners designed to help you be a safer more competent driver.

Those words were written by Constable Tim Schewe in his column Behind the Wheel. RRID supports Canada Road Safety Week and thought the information in this article was well worth repeating.

We believe that impaired driving and motor vehicle collisions are everyone's problem -and we believe that together we can make a difference.

Impaired drivers kill more people in British Columbia than all other criminal acts combined. In B.C., one in three fatal collisions involves alcohol. Each one of these deaths is totally preventable. The mandate of the Rid Roads of Impaired Drivers Society is to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by motor vehicle collisions and to prevent impaired driving.

Our priority is youth because motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of youth. We recognize that a person's ability to drive may be impaired in many ways, not just by drugs or alcohol. In 2003 in B.C. 82 youths between the ages of 13 to 21 were killed and 11,940 youths were injured in motor vehicle collisions. The majority of the collisions involved high speed or impaired driving or driver inexperience or not wearing seatbelts or some other human error. Too many adults are also killed and injured every year. In B.C. in 2003, there were 254,000 motor vehicle crashes and 29,000 of them occurred on Vancouver Island. Most of those crashes were also totally preventable. RRID is working to change that.

RRID works with many other groups including ICBC, the Autoplan Brokers, the Hospital, the Schools and RCMP and Police Departments. We are involved in the DRIVE program, the PARTY and Jr. PARTY programs and the Conversations program. Great programs all aimed at reducing the number of crash incidents on Vancouver Island. That is making a difference but it is not enough.

This is a community problem, one that has an impact on the entire community. We are all affected by these deaths and injuries. And it is going to take the participation and involvement of the whole community to reach our goal. Don't wait as so many of us do until it directly impacts your life. Don't wait for pain to provide a wake-up call. Get involved now.

As we enjoy the first long weekend of the summer, let's be aware of the Canada Road Safety Week and work together. Let's change the summer from being the deadliest time on our roads and highways to the safest time. It is certainly an achievable goal but one that will take the cooperation of everyone using our roads and highways. Let's all do our part for together we can make a difference.

Joan Parsons
President
Rid Roads of Impaired Drivers

RRID will be in the Spotlight, at the Vancouver Island Thrift Store on Sunday, June 5th. Come down, have a coffee and donut, support RRID. If you are able to donate any items to the store in RRID's name it will support the work we are doing in the community. You can also search out great bargains at the same time. This is a great way opportunity to let more people get involved with RRID. We are grateful to Gail Avender, Tim McKay and Leanne Clark the co-owners of the Vancouver Island Thrift Department Store for working together with the non-profit organizations and Volunteer Nanaimo for the benefit of not for profits in our community.

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