DRIVING IS A LIFE AND DEATH BUSINESS

Last Thursday's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Parents call intersection unsafe after daughter's fatal collision". This is such a sad story and all too common. While my heart goes out to the parents I believe the statistics across North America would indicate that this is literally a daily occurrence. In fact that might well be a daily occurrence in Canada and probably ten times more often based upon population etc. in the U.S.. I have driven the particular intersection where the younf woman was hit by the transport truck many times. It is a highway and the southbound trucks have a downhill. With what I have long believed are shorter yellow lights than in previous decades it is basically impossible for a loaded tractor trailer to go from 80-100 km/hour to a dead stop in the time that the lights are currently yellow. Hence when they are very close to the intersection, knowing that an emergency stop may well put them into and through the intersection anyways; most times it's safer to go on through. Notice I say most times. If a stopped car is waiting to make a left turn and their light turns red it is much too easy to assume the oncoming vehicle is braking and it's therefore safe to go in order to clear the intersection for the now east and west bound traffic. As horrible as the results are it's neither the first nor the last time that exact thing has and will happen. Perhaps the parents' idea of a dedicated left hand turn light prohibiting through traffic and allowing the left hand lane to go would be helpful. I truly don't know what other ramifications of that there might be. The current system however is indeed dangerous and all drivers need to know and recognize that they are taking their lives in their hands each and every time they drive. Even without drinking or reckless driving our roads are not and never have been "safe".