The recent wintry blast that created very dangerous driving conditions on highways and roads across West Central Alberta is a painful reminder that wintertime in this region can sometimes be a nightmare for motorists.
With dozens and dozens of crashes to deal with, emergency crews, including EMS, firefighters and police were kept very busy across the district.
In many cases those same emergency personnel put their own well-being at risk when they came out to rescue stranded and injured drivers and passengers.
Without the outstanding and selfless effort of those same rescuers, many of those same motorists would certainly have suffered much greater hardship. In fact, in some cases those rescuers were likely lifesavers too.
No question, the community at large once again owes a big thank-you to the region's emergency personnel.
There's no doubt that sometimes highway and roadway accidents are unavoidable, such as in the case where sudden drifting or whiteout conditions create immediate and unforeseen road hazards. In those cases, drivers cannot and should not be blamed for their misfortunes.
In other cases, however, drivers are to blame and should be held accountable, both to themselves and their passengers as well as to other motorists and emergency workers.
Whether it is driving far too fast for the conditions, driving while distracted, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, far too many motorists continue to put themselves ahead of the safety of other motorists and rescue personnel.
For example, RCMP in the region say many, many drivers continue to talk on hand-held cellphones while out on area roads. Is it at all uncommon to see motorists chatting away on their mobile phones as they barrel down highways in the region? Sadly, no it isn't.
Why are those drivers not getting the message when it comes to distracted driving? Are the fines, which start at $172, not tough enough? Do those drivers somehow believe they are immune from wintertime crashes? If they think so, they are wrong.
No one wants to be in an accident, especially on an ice-covered highway in the freezing cold – where drivers and passengers can face serious risks of injury or even death and where emergency personnel must put themselves in harm's way to save them.
Wintertime in Alberta can sometimes be a nightmare for motorists. Hopefully those drivers who would rather talk on their cellphones instead of putting their full attention to the task of driving safely will think twice when the next big storm hits.
