Skip to content

LETTER: ‘Totally criminal’: The way trucks operate in Chilliwack and all of B.C.

Government needs to address truck safety issues now, says letter writer
19500517_web1_192002-SAA-semi-crash-mara

Re: Truckers should be allowed to drive only in right lanes at lower speeds, Nov. 15, Nancy Singer.

Dead on, Nancy! I couldn’t agree more. If only we had a government that would do something.

I’m a senior mechanic, retired, and have driven close to 2 million miles in my road trips all over North America. I was raised on a farm in Alberta, where we had a variety of vehicles and equipment.

During my mechanical training, I learned that the harder you push a vehicle – whether it’s loaded, empty, big, small or a car or truck – the higher your maintenance costs will be and the more pollution it puts into the atmosphere. The way I see transport trucks operating here in B.C. is totally criminal and ridiculously expensive. So many of the trucks I see on the road really shouldn’t be allowed on the highway, especially at the speeds they are going.

This is another reason that ICBC rates are so out of line. Slow the trucks down, make them pass a proper, regular inspection, drive like a professional with proper training, and ICBC might consider treating law-abiding citizens to a more realistic rate.

On Nov. 8, I briefly followed a logging truck on Annis Road going to town. He was passing cars and other trucks in both lanes, loaded with a huge load of logs bouncing up and down.

I stayed back. I estimate he was going 125 to 130 km/h. Crazy!

Keep hoping the government will do something – soon.

Ron McPherson

READ MORE: See the latest letters, columns and editorials at The Progress Opinion


@TheProgress
editor@theprogress.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.