The tragic bus accident in Humboldt, Saskatchewan is both a reminder of the fragility of our human lives and an unfortunate, inexcusable harbinger of more deaths to come if this latest accident does not bring about a massive shift in our transportation laws.
The, amazingly, still-growing 15 million Go Fund Me dollars raised in support of the victims, survivors, and their families, and 30 million hockey sticks left by doors in memory will do nothing to prevent future tragedies of this nature. With all the media attention placed on the fallout from this horrific event, no one has even hinted at what appears to be a taboo subject, a subject that would be an inconvenience to “socialization” during lengthy motor coach trips but could prevent many injuries and death . We accept this unfortunate, illogical reality throughout this vast country on a daily basis, 365 days each passing year. There could be 100 million dollars raised as well as permanent hockey stick memorials outside every home on earth but, in the bright light of future days, none of this actually gives substantial meaning to the deaths of these people.
The taboo word that could mean these lost lives were not lost for nothing and will be concretely, respectfully honoured is: Can you guess it yet?
Think about our school children travelling daily on school buses, tourists on tour coaches, and work crews from marshaling grounds to work sites.
Think about bodies, young or old, being violently thrashed and crashed around in rolling buses or flung free to fly through the air to traumatic landings. The, thus far, unmentioned or apparently unmentionable word is: seatbelts. To truly honour, respect, and give meaning to these tragic deaths, I believe mandatory seatbelts in buses and motorcoaches the future are the answer.
Respectfully and with a heavy but hopeful heart,
Ed Ivanisko
Campbell River
