ARE OFF-ISLAND DRIVERS WORSE THAN ELSEWHERE?

Off-Island traffic congestion issues aside, what is really an important traffic issue in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges area is the volume and number of dangerous drivers and rules of the road scofflaws.

If I have this right, no matter if you are travelling along the Île-Perrot to Vaudreuil-Dorion corridor on Highway 20, winding your way up or down St. Charles Ave. in the Dorion sector, heading east or west on Highway 40, navigating that insane boulevard known as Anciens-Combattants en-route to or from the Galipeault bridge and all points in between and on arteries such as Don- Quichotte or CardinalLéger Blvds., bad drivers are making already frustrating traffic issues worse and increasingly dangerous for all.

Travel along 5th Ave. or Forest Ave. or adjacent to any one of our many school zones in the area to witness countless incidents of bad driving and to view drivers that ignore stops signs, perform roll-throughs, speed excessively and generally thumb their noses at the law. They put others at risk of injury or worse, death on a daily basis here. And we are not only talking bad drivers of cars and trucks. With the arrival of summer, motorcycles and scooters drivers share the blame for dangerous conditions on local roads. One can add cyclists to the equation as the wheeled danger dance continues.

I’ve said it before and will declare it again: The Off-Island area is rampant with speed demons racing down our residential streets, drivers who ignore stop signs at intersections and speed through school and construction zones constantly. Of particular annoyance is an omnipresence of tailgaters and lane changers as other drivers respect school zone speed limits. Distracted drivers who continue to insist on the use of cellphones and texting while driving only make things worse. Despite the increased presence of police and speed traps, spot checks and traffic radar, the issue of dangerous driving persists heavily. This, as thousands of fines and tickets are issued locally by the Sûreté du Québec throughout the year. Will we not learn?

Before you flip a finger at me for being righteous or opinionated and without flaw, I’ve been ticketed for a few traffic offences myself over the years and frankly, what driver hasn’t? I’ve paid fines and been subject to hikes in vehicle registration and insurance premiums as consequences just like anybody else that would break the law.

Just how bad are Off-Island drivers compared to others in the province when it comes to observing the rules of the road? Are drivers worse here that elsewhere? Do you think that Off-Islanders are particularly bad drivers?

Tell us about your driving experiences on local roads and what incidences of bad driving you have witnessed in your area. Is there a particular school zone where drivers constantly ignore the speed limit in your neighbourhood?

Quebec has amended the highway safety code to help improve safety on our roads. New measures can be consulted here: www.transports.gouv.qc.ca/en/ code-securite-routiere/Pages/ csr.aspx.