Dear Editor:
RE: Not a good safety era, Oct. 16.
I disagree with Mr. Fast’s letter. I do I think we should return to the era of:
– parents stressing to look both ways before crossing the street, only crossing where the school entrance is and never presume a vehicle will stop for you;
– parents not dropping off kids living 10 blocks from school;
– bicycle safety programs taught in the school, where it was stressed you are on the road with vehicles for which you are no match;
– understanding that when you see a right-turn signal on a car you did not pull up on the right side of that car;
– 50km/h speed limits on city streets, with no special zones, and 60km/h) on secondary or four-lane roads, with no speed bumps, etc.
We have stopped teaching our kids and created an environment of entitlement in so many areas. This includes obliviously walking while on cell phones or wearing ear buds listening to music while we cross roads, believing that magic technology will protect us.
I agree that it is reasonable to have large flashing signs approaching school zones during school with during school start stop hours a large 40 during that time,
What I don’t agree with is speed reductions 24 hours per day. Speed cameras provide a completely false sense of security. If someone is speeding and hits a child, it does little to say we got them on a speed camera.
Speed cameras were not a reaction to something that occurred so please save me the prevention talk.
We have to get past this notion that if we build a bike world they will come. They are not coming. We are congesting our main arterial roads by reducing lanes for bike lanes. More cars jammed up creates more hazards.
I have never had a speed camera ticket so this is not moaning from an action. City mayors are admitting speed cameras are a revenue stream.
Doak McCraney,
Guelph