Residents could use driving tips

The driving habits of a major percentage of drivers in the City of Lethbridge should brush up on their driving skills and improve some of their poor driving habits by going online and looking up the website of “Geared to Go by the Province of Alberta Transportation.”

There is a section in the information in this publication on “General driving tips.” One of the points in this section illustrates the use of the two-second rule. It states: “Use the two-second rule when following other vehicles. Allow more time and distance during difficult traffic or road conditions and poor visibility.”

I am sure that there are 90 per cent of the drivers in the City of Lethbridge that do not know this rule or choose to ignore it when driving in this city. I constantly have drivers following me way too close to stop if I have to make an emergency stop for whatever reason. During the time I have been driving in this city since 1970 I have found that the problem of people following too close has caused me to be rear-ended three times since then.

I would recommend that any person over the age of 65 at least take a driving course to update their knowledge of the rules of the road as well as become aware of some of their bad driving habits. I would recommend also that the use of cellphones be absolutely prohibited for any driver behind the wheel of any vehicle being driven on a public thoroughfare. The fine should be raised to at least $500 for the first offence and the driver’s licence suspended for seven days. This may get the attention of those people who insist that they have to absolutely be in constant contact with whomever all the time even while driving in congested traffic.

I am sure that there is no phone call so important that an answer could not wait until the person being called could get to a safe place to park and then answer their phone. Bernard Tichler

Lethbridge