Thomas Gowan is a Vancouver-based author and commuter.People like to think BC has traffic, when in reality, we don’t. What we do have is a very select group of passively distracted drivers lacking urgency, consideration, or joy behind the wheel. Drivers who remain glued to their phones or use red lights to put on makeup. Drivers who are slow to start at greens or lazily half commit to turns, blocking two lanes in the process. Drivers with an infinite amount of space ahead of them, but for whatever reason, proceed slowly, setting the pace for all the cars behind, creating the illusion of vehicular density..AMBLER: The arithmetic Ottawa won’t admit .These fine examples of licence carrying automobile operators are then coupled with anti-car policy makers, who bottleneck commuters between bike lanes and traffic slowed zones on every other street, making what could be a casual and comfortable drive into something that must be endured and needlessly suffered through.However, amidst the chaos of these despondent daily commuters and the labyrinth of mismanaged roadways, there is hope. There is an abundance of drivers who still have that verve, that vigour, that unadulterated driving spirit, willing to steer the conversation in a positive direction..Thanks to BC Highway Patrol’s annual “Drive Relative to Conditions and Pedestrian Awareness” campaign, or DRCPA for short — because nobody puts effort into cool acronyms anymore — we’ve learned exactly how many drivers take to the streets with a much needed ruthless efficiency.In the month of October, not 80, not 800, but approximately 8,000 BC commuters were targeted for their discretionary driving practices. RCMP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin argued that these drivers were guilty of thinking themselves “exceptional” and that none of them are “special.".GREEN: Eby practices eco-hypocrisy in BC .I beg to differ. Out of 8,000 speeders, how many accidents did they cause? How many pedestrians hit? No accidents. No lives lost. All sober. Undistracted. Unbothered. Fully flourishing & focused in their own lane, only to be accosted and punished for, dare I say, tactfully navigating the coagulated sludge known as BC highway infrastructure.The RCMP would like to think we don’t have the talent — that these streets were made for walking, cycling and scooting, or anything but responsibly maneuvering 3,000 pounds of human ingenuity..Approximately 8,000 in one month means about 250 a day, or ten every hour — and those were just the ones who got caught. The sheer volume of speeders stopped is not a sign that people are irresponsible, it’s a vote of non-confidence in a system that doesn’t serve those participating in it.If this many are willing to take the risk of a ticket, imagine how many more would gleefully join their ranks if the shackles of the law were relinquished. .BERNARDO: Carney's firearms fiasco: Punish the law-abiding while criminals run wild .Who gives speeding tickets on unceded territory anyway? Limiting man to the land speed of a buffalo when he was meant to soar at the dive speed of an eagle is a truly colonized state of mind. Citizens must be allowed to use the roads, their ABS, and AWD as God intended. They need to be permitted to let their speedometer traverse the triple digits — in kilometres mind you.We need to take this province’s view of "traffic" and speed limits in a different direction. Why must we suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune being at a total standstill on the highway, or relegated to sluggishly moving at 30-50km/h on surfaces built to handle 120km/h easily? Does not compute..Again in BC we are plagued by timid policy makers who fear making anything fun, efficient or legitimately profitable.Let people drive at a reasonable speed of 120 km/h on the highway while cracking down on what really matters: actions of those in the passing lane, as well as distracted and impaired driving. Not all licensed drivers must move in this manner, as not all are capable of maximizing a car’s potential. Create the conditions to accommodate both driving styles, as this October push has proven, we most certainly can..FLETCHER: Here’s what they don’t tell you about BC’s tanker ban.BC could offer a special licensing program to operate a vehicle at a higher rate of speed, just like you would a truck or a motorcycle. Generate more revenue from additional licensing costs and voila, you’ve both created a new revenue stream and successfully made people’s daily commute a little more efficient and enjoyable. Next we scrap half the bike lanes, open up the streets, and truly make our roads work for an ever-increasing population. What a wonderful world it could be.Thomas Gowan is a Vancouver-based author and commuter.
