As a truck driver with more than 30 years of accident-free experience, I too am appalled at the lack of respect for the rules of the road.
LETTER: ‘Totally criminal’: The way trucks operate in Chilliwack and all of B.C.
Unfortunately, this applies to the general public as well. The whole driving experience has degenerated into a me-first and damn-everyone-else attitude. There is very little enforcement of the rules. I used to often see police on the highway — now I can go days without seeing any.
Everyone, including truckers, should slow down to the posted speeds and be more aware of their surroundings.
LETTER: Truckers should be allowed to drive only in right lanes at lower speeds
Regarding the right-lane-only issue, at first glance it seems a simple solution. Not all trucks are equal. Some are fully loaded, some are empty, and there are other variables. I agree they shouldn’t be in the left lane, except to pass. Or cars. If there are three lanes, restricted to the right two seems to work, like in Seattle. In places in Europe, trucks can only run in the right lane. Miles of trucks only, leaving cars backlogged only in the left.
Trucks in B.C. are safety-inspected every six months, or no insurance. Appearance is not necessarily a safety issue.
Log trucks, as with any open cargo, are strictly regulated pertaining to securement. Bouncing logs on the rear of a trailer isn’t a problem if the load is properly secured to the trailer. Heavy fines can be issued for improper loading.
If you see anyone driving dangerously, it should be reported to the police, hopefully with a description of the vehicle and plate number, truck or car. Get the company name off the door of the truck and the unit number if you can. Call the company and ask for the safety supervisor. They should be more than willing to listen to you. Weeding out the riff-raff protects everyone.
I didn’t write this to defend wrongdoing. I wanted to clear up some misunderstandings of the trucking industry.
T.P. LaPointe