Recently at Weyburn City Council, there was some discussion on changing the speed limits in Weyburn, so that it is 50 km/h for most of the city, and 30 km/h in school zones.
Since they are seeking input from the general public, I thought I would include my two cents. I do not believe that there is any reason necessary to have to increase the speed limit in Weyburn.
Instead, I think there should be an increased focus on educating distracted drivers on the rules of the road. In this day and age, we have so many issues with drivers who are texting and driving, drivers who get behind the wheel while intoxicated, and we are starting to lose the basic rules of the road.
Drivers have enough issues slowing down to a new speed limit, that this is something we should just avoid in Weyburn. Already, across the province, there had to be speed cameras implemented in construction zones, where drivers should be slowing down to 60 km/h. In Regina and Saskatoon, speed cameras were implemented in school zones to catch those drivers who were not slowing down.
It seems in our lives that we are rushing around too quickly to get to the next big thing in our life, and often this is true when a rushed person gets behind the wheel. This is why there should be more focus on ensuring that drivers are paying attention to the road itself, since there are many factors out on our roads that could cause minor or major incidents.
Sometimes, the fact that more technology is now offered in many new models of vehicles makes it even easier for drivers to be distracted. There are many vehicles out there that now offer Wifi, so you could be connected anywhere. I know that these features are made for passengers, but they can still be considered a distraction for the driver itself.
It also doesn’t help the factor that some commercials are trying to appeal to children, noting with Wifi capabilities so a child could be easily entertained with movies or video games. However, this offer of appeasement does not help the fact that our youth are getting dangerously addicted to such technology.
My car does not have a video monitor for my child to watch during long car visits (and we do sometimes travel close to six hours to visit relatives up north). Instead of relying on a movie or video game, my son finds other ways of being entertained. In fact, he uses many of the car games that I used as a child, which just encourages and grows his creativity.
While certain technology upgrades to vehicles can be considered good things (I do particularly enjoy the rear-view camera and the safety options that it provides), there should be a limit on what technology should be included in your vehicle package.
Each one of us who are drivers should be considering ways to be more courteous and safety-conscious on the roads. Let’s work on promoting good driving habits, instead of focusing on trying to raise speed limits that really don’t need to be raised. Most importantly, put the distractions away before you get behind the wheel, as it will make any trip safer.
