Editorial: Don't be one of the 3,000

Source: Central Plains Herald-Leader

MANITOBA - On Wednesday in the Central Plains, first responders were called to the scene of two major vehicular collisions — one fatal and the other that very easily could have been.

Ironically, or perhaps prophetically, both happened on the second annual National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims. It's held the third Wednesday of November each year in conjunction with the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which is also marked in November.

In Canada, almost 3,000 people die each year in road crashes, according to the Canadian Global Road Safety Committee; another 200,000 are injured. In the Central Plains, three were added to the list Wednesday with the death of a rural Portage la Prairie man whose car hit the rear end of a semi-trailer near Oakville, and the injuries of two people whose car sideswiped a semi hauling bales on the Trans-Canada Highway bypass around Portage.

As the community grieves the loss of this driver and is thankful the other two people emerged with their lives, it is important for everyone to take stock of their driving habits and find ways to break the dangerous ones.

The Manitoba government recently legislated a new rule of the road for people who use cellphones while driving. The hands-free cellphone usage law is designed to reduce distractions for drivers, which is good, but there are so many other things that drivers must take it upon themselves to change. There are simple things such as wearing a seatbelt or slowing down when roads are slippery or wet or when visibility is poor. There's the unique concepts of driving at the speed limit, stopping for red lights, and not driving when tired. Not drinking or doing drugs then driving is also something the public has been aware of for years, but still continues to happen. Maintaining one's vehicle and securing the load on a transport truck are also important to reducing collisions and injury. Even pedestrians and cyclists have a role to play in increasing their safety when interacting with vehicular traffic.

The sad truth is that there are very few collisions that aren't avoidable. And the impact, not just on the families of crash victims, but on emergency responders and resources, plus medical costs and property damage are substantial. The CGRSC estimates the yearly financial cost at $63 billion per year in medical costs and property damage, just in Canada.

Next year, on the third Wednesday in November, observe a moment of silence for all the victims of road crashes. Between now and then, do your part to reduce the risk of a collision.