UNITY – We have all seen it, a vehicle parked askew or a driver who does not know that pedestrians have the right of way at an intersection. We make a comment on how bad the parking job or driver is, but we secretly deny we would ever do something like that.
In most small towns, it is common to see someone driving down the street, to whip across the opposite lane to park. Not only is this illegal but it also causes problems for those who do park properly. Many times, those who do the illegal manoeuvre do not park at the correct angle for the street which makes it difficult to back out of the space itself or the ones next to it.
Intersections also seem to be tricky for some drivers. According to SGI, an uncontrolled intersection is where there are no stop signs, yield signs, traffic lights or police directing traffic. If two vehicles arrive at an uncontrolled intersection at the same time, the driver on the left must yield. Now granted, there are occasions where we go blank when we get to the intersection, forgetting who would have the right of way. It is when drivers are continuously non-compliant that we become lazy and could end up hurting ourselves or someone else.
Pedestrians always have the right of way, regardless of the situation. However, some pedestrians do not always make it easy. In a region where many of us drive or walk to work in the dark, there have been times when a pedestrian is not seen. Often they are not paying attention to their surroundings or are wearing dark, non-reflective clothing. By making yourself visible, the chances of being involved in a serious situation are reduced greatly.
Another serious concern for many is speeding. There are a few streets and avenues in our communities that have seen their share of vehicles going by faster than they should. The biggest problem is those areas are residential, where young children are usually present. All it will take is one child to get hurt.
One of the worst offenders behind the wheel are those who are on their cellphones. Even with the technology we see in the newer vehicles with Bluetooth connections, we still see drivers on their phones. It's worse when you see parents dropping off their kids at school, with phones in hand. One pedestrian complained they were just about hit by a driver who was on their phone, in the daylight, while wearing bright colours. The one that was on foot was paying attention and was able to escape being hurt, narrowly.
Lastly, those who drive 18-wheelers are not excluded. Many Class 5 drivers fear sharing the road with the big outfits, even on a good day. Most drivers understand that semis are not like regular vehicles. They need more time to stop and more room to turn. Recently, a driver experienced a frightening moment with a semi. While on Highway 14 through Unity, she saw a semi coming up behind her. She signalled with plenty of time to alert the driver of the semi of the plans to turn left, then proceeded to slow down. The truck did not slow down at all, then proceeded to pass her on the right-hand side of the highway, on the shoulder of the road.
As drivers, we need to be diligent in how we conduct ourselves on the road. If we all follow the rules of the road instead of considering them as guidelines, there are bound to be fewer collisions and fewer people hurt.
