Driving is a privilege, not a right
Why do drivers here in Ottawa feel they can drive any way they feel like it? The absolute truth is that they are not allowed to. The reason? The Highway Traffic Act. This is a law--not a set of guidelines or recommendations or suggestions, but a set of rules.
It’s been said that it’s the little things that count in life, and this applies when it comes to driving. Some people might think you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff--which, when it comes to driving, includes things like failing to signal, failing to come to a full stop at the stop sign before the stop line, and not giving pedestrians the right-of-way--but I think that’s narrow-minded thinking because it looks at the small stuff as isolated incidents rather than parts of a larger problem. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and “not sweating the small stuff” in this case means ignoring the weakness of the weakest link and hoping it gets stronger on its own. But it will not.
And why? Well, there’s a fundamental reason why we humans went from walking to running to riding horses to driving cars. It’s called human nature. Impatience. Placing your own desires above other people’s needs. Morally, that isn’t right. I can pretty well guarantee you that every traffic accident involves some degree of uncaring on someone’s part. It upsets me when I see a driver not doing everything they should, because it says to me that they’re liable to do the same thing somewhere else--and quite possibly hurt or kill someone in the process without meaning to. Don’t these potential victims deserve to live free of the danger that their very lives could one day be snuffed out? This threat to their safety can only be nipped in the bud at the individual driver level. This is why I seem to be sweating the small stuff, because I see it as links in a chain--and it’s the chain that is the big problem here.
Nor do I believe that police safety blitzes, at least as approached here in Ottawa, are effective enough for this. Here the police announce when the blitzes are going to take place and what they’re going to be watching for. I believe this approach to blitzes is counterproductive, because it conditions the general public to believe they can play cat-and-mouse with the police when the blitzes are not taking place--especially given that I see the police turning a blind eye more often than not. When they do turn a blind eye, it says to me they’re not willing “to serve and protect” on the level that I feel they ideally should. After all, Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms says that “everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice” (emphasis mine). When drivers don’t drive properly, I don’t believe that the resultant “small stuff” falls under the definition of “principles of fundamental justice”. Instead, I
believe these drivers are depriving others of “security of the person”. Therein lies the fundamental reason for every traffic accident that has ever occurred.
Driving is, always has been and always will be a privilege, not a right. The Highway Traffic Act was designed to prevent these accidents and these threats to people’s safety. If you get into an accident down the road and someone is killed as a result, what if the person killed is a musician who otherwise would have written the most beautiful piece of music the world has ever heard? Or a doctor who otherwise would have made a scientific discovery that would have shaken the very foundation of medical science? Or a college-level hockey player who otherwise would have had an NHL career far eclipsing Rocket Richard, Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky combined? What a loss to the world that would be. You never know, do you?
The tagline to the movie Run Lola Run says, “Every second of every day you face a decision that can change your life.” Why not slow down and take the time to make the correct decision? Isn’t there enough pain in the world already?
It’s been said that it’s the little things that count in life, and this applies when it comes to driving. Some people might think you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff--which, when it comes to driving, includes things like failing to signal, failing to come to a full stop at the stop sign before the stop line, and not giving pedestrians the right-of-way--but I think that’s narrow-minded thinking because it looks at the small stuff as isolated incidents rather than parts of a larger problem. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and “not sweating the small stuff” in this case means ignoring the weakness of the weakest link and hoping it gets stronger on its own. But it will not.
And why? Well, there’s a fundamental reason why we humans went from walking to running to riding horses to driving cars. It’s called human nature. Impatience. Placing your own desires above other people’s needs. Morally, that isn’t right. I can pretty well guarantee you that every traffic accident involves some degree of uncaring on someone’s part. It upsets me when I see a driver not doing everything they should, because it says to me that they’re liable to do the same thing somewhere else--and quite possibly hurt or kill someone in the process without meaning to. Don’t these potential victims deserve to live free of the danger that their very lives could one day be snuffed out? This threat to their safety can only be nipped in the bud at the individual driver level. This is why I seem to be sweating the small stuff, because I see it as links in a chain--and it’s the chain that is the big problem here.
Nor do I believe that police safety blitzes, at least as approached here in Ottawa, are effective enough for this. Here the police announce when the blitzes are going to take place and what they’re going to be watching for. I believe this approach to blitzes is counterproductive, because it conditions the general public to believe they can play cat-and-mouse with the police when the blitzes are not taking place--especially given that I see the police turning a blind eye more often than not. When they do turn a blind eye, it says to me they’re not willing “to serve and protect” on the level that I feel they ideally should. After all, Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms says that “everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice” (emphasis mine). When drivers don’t drive properly, I don’t believe that the resultant “small stuff” falls under the definition of “principles of fundamental justice”. Instead, I
believe these drivers are depriving others of “security of the person”. Therein lies the fundamental reason for every traffic accident that has ever occurred.
Driving is, always has been and always will be a privilege, not a right. The Highway Traffic Act was designed to prevent these accidents and these threats to people’s safety. If you get into an accident down the road and someone is killed as a result, what if the person killed is a musician who otherwise would have written the most beautiful piece of music the world has ever heard? Or a doctor who otherwise would have made a scientific discovery that would have shaken the very foundation of medical science? Or a college-level hockey player who otherwise would have had an NHL career far eclipsing Rocket Richard, Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky combined? What a loss to the world that would be. You never know, do you?
The tagline to the movie Run Lola Run says, “Every second of every day you face a decision that can change your life.” Why not slow down and take the time to make the correct decision? Isn’t there enough pain in the world already?
posted by Jamie at 4:18 PM
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