Bookm wrote:
No laws or stiff penalties will fix our problems on the open road. The only hope we have for a safer and more efficient driving experience is to alter the "philosophy" of driving from one of rules and regulations to one of respect and consideration for our fellow motorists.
Those who drive with little or no respect for those behind them are real dangers on the road. Rear view mirrors seam to be but a useless ornament for many motorists. They don't give a *EDIT* about the line of cars behind them. Why should they? They're obeying the law after all.
The new look of the OPP is one of strong, aggressive enforcement. The commissioner comes across as a tough, take-no-prisoners type of authoritarian. His officers rarely give warnings any more. Even reduced tickets are becoming a thing of the past. Zero tolerance is the modern catch phrase. Our Liberal government clearly supports this new social climate, so citizens start becoming mean, nasty jerks themselves. They don't let others merge in front of them, they honk their horn when being passed, they generally bitch and complain about everyone else on the road. This social experiment our current government is profiting from has made for a nasty atmosphere for daily commuters.
If there was a way to widely promote simple etiquette in general (not just lane discipline) we'd be well on our way to improving the flow of traffic in Ontario. Our Commissioner will never be the man for THAT job. He clearly lacks the ability to recognize that a vast majority of the motoring public (even speeders) want to see a safer environment on our highways just as much as he does. He can fly his planes, and run his blitzes all he wants, but he will never beat society into submission. I have seen very little change in the speeds on major highways. There's still that core group of guys I feel comfortable driving with, and there's still those rolling wrecks just waiting for a place to happen.
I teach my kids manners at the dinner table. I teach them to open doors for others. They say please and thank you, and they try their best to put others needs ahead of their own. I fully expect these same characteristics to play out on the open road when they get their licenses and start driving.
Figure out a way to legislate good manners in general and you just might be on to something!
Good post, people are just not considerate to others and choose to not use common sense.
I dont care how fast i am going if someone is behind me i just let them pass me.
Sometimes someone will be blocking a lane on purpose i pass on the right and they honk or flash lights at me!!!
Since when are they the police or the etiquette cops on the road.
I don't know about the OPP's stance. I must say EVERY officer is different and every detachment seems to operate very different. For example the Mississauga one sometimes can be hard to find but they are always doing Radar on the 403. They dont like all the roads and are rarely on some they look after but they spend a ton of time on the 403.
Anyways speaking of common sense on the road and common courtesy isnt that exactly what Germany's auto bahn system is all about?
I wish we had a system like that. Drive safe, choose a speed you wish to travel at, and don't inconvenience or endanger anyone else? Why cant we have this here?
I wish i could go on the highway people would choose a speed they feel appropriate, safe, and fuel efficient enough for them, while driving safe, respectful and not inconveniencing others.
Instead of speed guns our cops would go out there and look for the ones that inconvenience others, do dangerous things, cut others off, block lanes.
The attitude now is ill just do whatever doesn't get me caught.
It happens all the time when everyone is tailgating over 130. They just think oh we will all do it and no where for a cop to hide on the side or between left lane and concrete so they don't care less.
It would be nice to see people drive intelligently, and just respect others on the road. But that is never gonna happen in Ontario. And anything Fantino will do wont work.
They're going to need more lanes, better design in some places, higher limits, and enforcement of rules that actually encourage lane discipline.
After all isnt the whole point o traffic enforcement to have vehicles traveling at similar speeds and following lane discipline, while driving safely?
Bear i agree you guys need other cars. I know what you mean. When your in those black and white cruisers everyone acts like an angel. The guy who was weaving in and out of the lanes, the guy blocking the passing lane, they will all see him and just start to follow the rules.
But with the way they enforce it now like giving tickets out for going 120-130 no one will agree, to using random cars for enforcement and photo radar. They use it in germany and people don't complain. They know they can choose fast when the road is open and safe but when they are in urban areas and they are instructed to drive at 130 they do it, and they will enforce it.
They're i think their biggest tickets are for Aggressive driving, tailgating, and plugging the passing lane.
i think of the the worst tickets you can get on a highway in Germany is blocking passing lanes.
In Ontario, haha what a joke. Here all the big tickets are for speed, not for unsafe lane changes or plugging lanes.
Can you imagine how crazy this province would go with photo radar. Know one would stand for it cause they all go 120 to.
I would like to see a more realistic speed limit (like one where they consider the roads design and the traffic volume and set it.)
And then enforce it properly along with other rules that will help to stop poor drivers aggressive ones, and those who do not get along, be considerate of others, and choose to not follow lane discipline.
But all the OPP seems to do is just issue threats. Drive over 100 and your in big trouble. People just worry about not getting caught, they don't care about others or have respect for other drivers. They don't care about other rules of the road to.
If we didn't focus on speed all the time we could do so much more.
They always get those "dangerous" drivers who go 130 + on a straight 3 + lane expressway at 3 am. But they never get those trucks who plug the middle lanes and cause havoc in the left lanes and force everyone to race around them potentially causing many unsafe lane changes, and inconveniencing every other driver around them.
They always have that big blue sign we all know. The one that tells us the OPP will steal your vehicle for going 50 over.
But there is no signs telling us to move over, respect other drivers, drive on the right and pass on the left, pay attention to the road, don't make unsafe lane changes.
You know i always thought about those trucks being stuck at 105.
Maybe it will be a good thing if they are forced to drive in the right lane, otherwise this will be a massive mess. I know where you are bear is 2 lanes so they stay in the right, but where its 3 + lanes slow trucks in the middle lanes cause alot of problems.
