Agricultural producers are busy preparing to plant their crops again.
That means commuters who frequent the Cowboy Trail and secondary roads are reminded to exercise caution as heavy equipment hits the road.
For that reason, RCMP in Alberta are encouraging drivers to take a breath and slow down.
“The faster you are driving, the more braking distance you will require,” reads a recent press release, adding, “If you drive fast, you have less time to react to dangers and objects.”
So a large, lumbering piece of farm machinery slowly rolling down the road in the distance might appear to be far away, but the gap closes really quickly when a speeding motorist is approaching a tractor moving along at maybe 30 kilometres per hour.
And in the event of a collision, higher speeds substantially increase the forces involved in an impact and reduce the odds of surviving or escaping without serious injuries.
Police also point out that motorists should lay off the gas pedal in poor weather conditions, and that posted limits are assuming ideal visibility and dry roads.
“Statistics from 2015 indicate that one in four fatal collisions on Alberta roads involved one or more drivers who were travelling at speeds too fast for the given conditions,” states the release.
Worth bearing in mind is simply leaving a few minutes earlier to ensure you have ample time arriving at your destination. And if worse comes to worst, it is far better to arrive a few minutes late in this life, than a few minutes early in the next.
“Save a life, not a minute,” say police.
And if you’re in the passenger seat finding yourself uncomfortably barrelling down a road at excessive speeds unsafe to conditions, don’t hesitate to speak up, police urge.
“We remind Albertans that traffic safety is a shared responsibility,” said Supt. Gary Graham with Alberta RCMP Traffic Services.
“Getting to your destination safely is important to your loved ones. Speeding is not worth significantly increasing your chances of being involved in a serious collision that is often accompanied by long-term unpleasant consequences.”
We could not agree more, and encourage everyone to exercise common courtesy as our hard-working farmers and ranchers gear up for another season.
—Simon Ducatel is the Round Up’s editor
