My number one wish for the New Year is that people slow down on Highway 17 between Arnprior and Pembroke. The maximum speed limit posted is 90 km an hour but it seems most drivers consider it the minimum speed limit. If I drive doing 90, there will be a long line of vehicles behind me until they get to the passing lanes. So I do 99 or 100 and people will zoom by whenever they can. If I go 105 some still pass.
What really gets me is when the road has slushy spots after a snowfall and folks in small cars with small wheels pass me. Women drivers are often the ones doing the passing. I stay off Highway 17 when it’s snowing or when I know the road might be sloppy. It’s just too dangerous.
If the police want to nab speeders and charge them with stunt driving they should watch where the two lanes turn into one outside of Cobden just before Huckabone’s Garage. Drivers race down that straight stretch just before the hill so they can get ahead of anyone who is just doing 100 km an hour. You have to watch your rear view mirror very closely before signalling that you are moving over to the one lane because vehicles will bear down on you with lightning speed. I drive that road most Sundays at noon (after church) and have never seen a police car in that vicinity. I’m sure some cars come up that stretch doing 140 or 150 km an hour. Why are drivers in such a hurry? It’s a miracle there aren’t accidents every day considering the amount of traffic that goes by at times.
Staying with road safety and saving lives, my second wish is about joggers and cyclists. Over many years of observing these folks on and along the roads, I’ve noted that many like to blend in with the roadway. Instead of wearing bright colours such as yellow or orange that stand out, they wear dark clothing. It’s so irresponsible.
Last summer I was driving along a winding country road that had tall green leafy trees along the sides. The road was shady from the trees. Suddenly I came upon a person on a bicycle who was dressed in greenish clothing. The woman cyclist blended in with the nature surrounding her — the greenish landscape. Luckily I wasn’t driving fast and had been watching the road. But I could well have crashed into the cyclist. I was shocked at the near accident and felt like stopping and lecturing the woman to wear bright clothing, but maybe I’d be charged with harassment. So, again it’s a wonder that there aren’t more fatalities involving joggers and cyclists. Joggers, too, seem to want to blend in with the roadway. I hope our law enforcement make it mandatory that sporty folks on or beside roadways wear bright colours. I have a few more wishes but I’ll keep them for next week’s column.
