Safely stay out of my inbox

Figure of speech -

As a reporter I receive press releases left, right and center throughout the week. Literally.

Most weeks my mail slot and e-mail inbox is overflowing with press releases from as far away as British Columbia or Florida. However, the one news release that caught my eye last week regarded Canada Road Safety Week 2010 (May 18-24).

In this province, there were no fatal crashes on our roads during the May 24 weekend. Thank goodness.

It's always this time of year, with May 24 and up-coming graduations that RCMP are usually the busiest. It's also this time of year we witness some of the most horrific accidents on our province's highways.

However, this year is an exception and a very good one.

The RCMP press release stated, "Traffic Services units along with members from 11 districts within the province were out in full force for the past week targeting impaired driving, seat belt use, aggressive driving (cell phone use while driving and speeding) and offences under the Liquor Control Act."

In total there were 12 charges of impaired by alcohol, one charge of impaired by drug, 16 24-hour suspensions, 958 individual speeding and aggressive driving tickets, 225 seat belt violations and 293 other Even though there were no fatalities this May 24 weekend, I was still disappointed that there were still a number of speeding and aggressive driving tickets and seat belt violations. Doesn't anyone learn?

If you are in a rush to get somewhere, you should have given yourself plenty of time to get ready or to get on the road. Leave a little early so you can go the speed limit and arrive safely to your destination.

Also, a seatbelt isn't an ornament inside your vehicle. Use it!

Can you lift 3,900 pounds? No, I didn't think so. Well, at 100 kilometers per hour a 164 pound person attains a force equivalent to 3,900 pounds on impact with a stationary vehicle. So unless you plan on hitting the gym, hard, I suggest you take that second to buckle-up before heading out on the road.

This way no one becomes a statistic or a news release.