Re: Keep pressuring high-risk drivers (Our View, May 18)
The content of your editorial is common and clearly one-sided. While I agree that the police should intervene when drivers are clearly breaking the law, I believe the main issue is drivers who travel in the left lane on a four-lane road at about the same speed as those in the right lane.
There are some signs that state, “Slower traffic keep right.” In my view, “slow” does not necessarily mean someone going below the posted speed limit. Instead, I consider those slow drivers to be the ones who impede the left-lane traffic because they want to exercise their “right” to be in that lane. These are the self-appointed traffic enforcers.
About 25 years ago when I was living in Alberta, we had the same kind of risky drivers as we see in B.C. today. There were also signs suggesting that slower traffic stay to the right lane, but that was rarely obeyed or enforced.
Then the light came on with the powers that be. They increased the number and visibility of the signs, even highlighted them with bright green rays. It took two to four years, but the drivers finally got it and it was uncommon to find Albertans playing traffic enforcers in the passing lane.
Travelling on the highways became safer and much more pleasant. It appears that all it took was an attitude adjustment and drivers left it up to the police to enforce the speeders in the left lane. I have little doubt that a similar change in attitude for B.C. drivers would greatly reduce the risky manoeuvres of aggressive drivers. Leave it to the police, people.
Robert Chong
North Saanich
