I read in The Progress today a letter from a lady in Yarrow about a dump truck running over her dog and killing it in front of her and her 11-year-old son (Drivers urged to slow down, Progress, Oct. 2) and I have to side with her on this one.
Some people may think it was just a dog. Well, first of all most pet owners think more highly of their pets than people. Secondly that could of easily been a child in that bike lane.
I myself had a real scare 12 years ago when I was bringing my newborn son home from the hospital. A big rig cut us off and put the side of my car in the ditch as he was passing us on the highway.
I travel with my work everyday into Vancouver and area so I see my share of horrible drivers, both in large trucks and smaller vehicles. It is a lot scarier to see a semi tailgating someone or weaving in and out of traffic.
Last week a rolled-over dump truck at Mount Leman in Abbotsford halted traffic all the way to 200 Street in Langley. Luckily no one was hurt or killed. In my 11 years living in the Fraser Valley and commuting I have seen a lot of bad accidents involving semi trucks. Yes a lot of small cars too. The difference is when a semi is involved the outcome is usually a lot worse.
These trucks nowadays have so much power and I find myself often getting passed on the highway at very high speeds. The fact is due to the size and weight it takes longer to stop these rigs than small cars. I would like to see these trucks speed governed to 100km/hr. Also they should have to remain in the right lane at all times.
I will probably get a bunch of letters from truckers giving me the gears about how they too have deadlines too meet and how there are so many bad drivers who are not transport drivers, but I just want too say this is my opinion and you have yours.
G. Davison