Image Credit: CFJC Today

By James Peters

Two and Out

PETERS: Safety improvements needed on Highway 5 — but more patience, too

Mar 3, 2023 | 10:56 AM

IT IS AN INCREDIBLY FRIGHTENING TIME to be living in the North Thompson.

People living in Barriere and Clearwater and all of the smaller communities along that corridor need to brave Highway 5 regularly for all sorts of reasons — medical appointments, supply runs, visiting friends and family, and more.

While there are some stretches of the Yellowhead that have received safety improvements, others remain very sketchy.

And while an individual driver can take every necessary precaution to ensure a safe trip, there is no accounting for the actions of others.

Boogie The Bridge

Boogie The Bridge Event Information

Apr 19, 2024

Question of the Week

Is 'Canada's Tournament Capital' an accurate description of Kamloops?

22h ago

1000 Ways to Heal

1000 Ways to Heal: Vulnerability

22h ago

RCMP say in this most recent tragic crash Wednesday, the family that was decimated was not in the vehicle whose actions began the horrific string of events.

Kamloops-area residents don’t have to go too far back in time to remember another stretch of highway that seemed to be equally treacherous. That stretch would be Hoffman’s Bluff on the Trans Canada Highway west of Chase.

Once upon a time, it seemed there was a terrible incident at Hoffman’s Bluff almost every weekend during the winter.

Eventually, governments spent tens of millions of dollars to twin the highway through that area, dramatically improving safety for commuters and commercial drivers alike.

With traffic counts increasing substantially, the Yellowhead could use the same treatment all the way from Kamloops to Clearwater.

Failing that, or even failing less costly safety improvements, the best solution is for everyone to exercise patience behind the wheel.

Patience means not testing the limits of how fast you can drive on less-than-ideal road conditions.

Patience means waiting for passing lanes or wide-open stretches to try to overtake a slower driver.

And patience means slowing down to allow more time for decision-making in the event another driver does something unexpected.

The never-ending blame game between four-wheel drivers and commercial drivers doesn’t solve anything.

A proliferation of both is simply a fact of life on our highways.

Whether we are driving large trucks for work or driving smaller vehicles for other reasons, if we want to stop this never-ending string of casualties on Highway 5 and other Interior highways, we all need to be better.

——

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.