Notice of offence

Given the number of vehicles rolling out of our driveway on a given day, we do okay around here. Four of the adults living in our home drive for work and school and leisure. Our little Scion XB just flipped the odometer to a visually satisfying, 111,111 kms. So, we’re on the road a lot. And some days our pedal pushers can get a little heavy. But we don’t pull a lot of tickets.

I’m just about to online pay the $233.00 I owe our beautiful city for my most recent traffic violation. I was driving over 80 kms/hr in a 60 km zone. I deserve a strong consequence. Of course, I want to defend myself just a little. My son looked at the ticket, noted the location, and was immediately sympathetic, “Oh, Mom. That’s such a bad spot! The speed drops like crazy from one side of the intersection to the other!”

A little empathy and validation are nice. But I still deserve the ticket. I’ve driven that patch of road before, and I should have remembered it was a steep slow down.

Playing it safe

I love driving fast. But speed limits are posted for good reason. Safety matters. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Transport Canada’s website include the following statistics from the CCMTA: Speed and Intersection Safety Management, Annual Monitoring Report 2009:

1. 27% of fatalities and 19% of serious injuries involve speeding

2. 40% of speeding drivers involved in fatal crashes were 16 to 24 years of age

3. Most drivers killed in speed-related crashes were the ones speeding

4. 80% of young adult passengers who were killed in a speeding crash were in the vehicle with a speeding driver of similar age

5. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for more than 50% of speeding deaths and serious injuries

6. 1 in 3 speeding drivers involved in a fatal crash had been drinking

7. Research indicates that a 1% reduction in speed results in reducing the likelihood of a fatal collision by 5%. (OECD, 2008)

Takin’ it easy

So, it’s time for me to pay better attention to speed markers. And it’s helpful to consider that we’re all traffic. Everybody is trying to get where they’re going. Everybody has important things to do. And me? I’m as much traffic as everyone around me is.

The post Speeding Tickets appeared first on Donate A Car.

MADD Canada’s Fast Facts

MADD Canada is on a mission. Stop impaired driving and support victims of this violent crime.

Over 100 chapters and community leaders and 7,500 volunteers across Canada deliver our programs and services.

Project Red Ribbon is part of Canada’s longest running public awareness program. Every year, one million red ribbons and one million car decals are distributed across Canada.

And 730,000 visits to our website every year, for a total of over 4,450,000 page views!

Over 400,000 pieces of mail sent each year to donors and supporters.

And over 1 million students in Grades 7 to 12 see our School Assembly Program annually.

Our work has programs for victims and survivors. We provide public awareness, and legal research. Chapters and Community Leaders, youth, and anti-impaired driving technology ensure capably compassionate care..

Alcohol and/or drug-related motor vehicle crashes occur every day. Hundreds of Canadians are injured and up to four will lose their lives.

And the impact is huge! 65,000 Canadians are impacted in some way by impaired drivers. Every year.

Cannabis and impaired driving

Recent legislation around legal use of cannabis has some Canadians worried about impaired driving. Should we have concerns? How might we manage use to ensure safety for all? MADD has some helpful direction on this. Check them out!

Or, you can find them on Twitter at @MADDonline.

Are you a victim of impaired driving?

MADD is at the ready to support, resource, and come alongside you. You are not alone. Visit their website and search, “Victim/Survivor Information Request Form“. This will connect you to caring volunteers who can begin a supportive process with you.

‘Want to help? MADD gets an A

MADD IS PROUD TO BE ON THE FINANCIAL POST’S ANNUAL LIST OF CANADA’S MOST EFFICIENT AND ACCOUNTABLE CHARITIES. With an “A” rating, they are just one of 23 groups to get on this list! Add your car, truck, SUV, van, or motorcycle gift to this sturdy work.

The post MADD | No alcohol. No drugs. No victims. appeared first on Donate A Car.

Winter driving – taking it slooow

Winter driving can be stressful, and that first big snowfall of the year seems to send many drivers into a bit of a tilt. As I look out the window at the steady snowfall (it feels just too early for this to be happening already), I know I’m in for delays on my afternoon commute. My husband’s C-Train and bus trek in to work took twice the usual time. My trips to various parts of the city will be slow as well.

Transport Canada’s helpful tips

We don’t want to be a winter driving statistic, and one of our government websites has some sound advice for staying on the road, staying warm, and keeping everyone safe:

Prevent problems before they occur: Top 10 tips

Get your vehicle ready for winter in the fall.
Install four matching winter tires.
Pack an emergency kit.
Learn and practice winter driving techniques before you need them.
Plan your trip, check road and weather conditions.
Remove all snow from your vehicle before each trip.
Give yourself extra travel time in bad weather.
Avoid using cruise control on slippery roads.
Travel with a fully charged cell phone.
SLOW DOWN and WEAR your seatbelt.

The site has some helpful reminders for how to stay on the road, and how to pull yourself out of a skid. A good idea to brush up on some skills that haven’t been put to use for a few short months.

Clearing the driveway this winter

As you ready yourself and your family for a safe and secure winter, do remember Donate a Car Canada when you’re clearing the driveway. We know from hard-shoveling experience that it’s so much easier to hoist all of that heavy snow when you don’t have to navigate parked cars to do it. If you need an unused vehicle removed, we can help!

The post Winter Driving | Be a Pro This Winter appeared first on Donate A Car.