The Sea to Sky Highway cuts through our town, literally, and into our lives, figuratively.
When the highway shuts due to a crash, as it has for several hours twice already this fair-weather season, it is a significant stress for many.
Some of us can’t get to or from work, a medical appointment, or the ferry; others are stuck and exhausted on the way back from the airport or a family visit.
As much as we can plan for being stuck, it is never fun.
There are as many opinions on driver and rider errors that cause these crashes as there are residents in our ballooning town.
But we know from ICBC that distracted driving is an issue for many drivers.
The Crown corp says distracted/inattentive driving causes 77 deaths yearly — a leading cause of car crash fatalities.
And according to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), distraction is a factor in 20% to 30% of road crashes.
If that isn’t reason enough to pay more attention on the road, if caught looking at your mobile phone, for example, you’ll have to pay a fine of $368.
If you get two distracted driving tickets in three years, you’ll also be charged a Driver Risk Premium on your insurance, which could mean a hit of thousands.
We know it is happening and that it is wrong, and many of us are concerned about the habits of other drivers, especially when it comes to mobile phone use while driving.
Data from the Road Safety Monitor, an annual public opinion survey conducted by TIRF, found that 81% of respondents in 2021 were concerned about drivers texting while driving.
Interestingly, concern with texting and driving was greater than concern over drinking and driving, the survey found.
And while it is easy to be self-righteous about these things, if we are honest, many of us drive distracted, at least sometimes.
Technology has created a culture of multitasking where some of us see the 45-minute drive to the city or Whistler as a chance to have a work meeting or catch up with the kids, spouse, or friends.
Results from the survey showed that 32% of respondents acknowledged they often talked on their hands-free phone while driving, 14% said they often talked on their handheld phone while driving, and 13% said they often texted on their phone while driving.
The report on the survey concluded, “Even though most Canadians appeared to understand texting and driving was indeed dangerous, there was an increasing minority who continued to report this behaviour. Most concerning, this minority has more than doubled in the past decade.”
What is the most concerning distracted driving you have seen? Let us know at editor@squamishchief.com.
