I have just returned from a visit to Montreal, and the driving behaviour that I saw there made me wonder about traffic rules. Why do we have them? If they are worth having, why don't drivers follow them?
Fatal Crashes in the News
Each morning the newspaper carried articles on fatal collisions that had occurred in the past 24 hours. I began to wonder, are traffic rules only important in determining the "winner" after a collision?
Stop Signs Ignored
No one came to a full stop at a stop sign unless it was to avoid a collision with traffic already there. If you did stop and did not immediately proceed, the driver behind you honked the horn.
Following the Lines
Lines on the road appeared to mean very little to any driver. To me, it appeared to be chaos.
Is the Risk Worth the Seconds Saved?
In our haste to get from place to place in our busy lives, is it worth placing ourselves and others in jeopardy just to save a minute or two?
Enforcement is Supposed to Prevent Collisions
I have spent the better part of my service with the R.C.M.P. in traffic law enforcement. When I attend a collision today, I feel like I have failed the motoring public. My job is to prevent these incidents from occurring.
Traffic Tickets Taken as an Insult
Am I taking the job too seriously? Aside from the educational efforts I make to have drivers know and follow the rules, the only other tool I have is the traffic ticket. I often say, tongue in cheek, arrest and fight someone, send them to court and see the judge give them jail time and it's not a problem. However, if I write someone a traffic ticket it's like I called their mother a bad name!
The Traffic Rules are for All of Us
The traffic rules are there for all of us, police included. When you choose to disobey them, you are choosing to put others at risk without their permission.
Police enforce the traffic rules, not out of spite, but out of a genuine desire to try and make our highways safe for everyone.
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