By Laura Keil
Avola resident Lisa Leger is tired of close-calls and fatal collisions on the stretch of highway near her home on Hwy 5.
”There have been a record amount of semi accidents and fatalities this winter season,” she said.
On Sunday, for instance, four semi-trailers were involved in a collision near Vavenby. Luckily no one was injured.
Leger decided to pitch the idea of a safe driving campaign that could be taken up by truckers themselves, under the banner Arrive Home Alive (slightly different than the Arrive Alive slogan of the drunk driving campaign).
“The concept and intention of the campaign would be for drivers to make more effort to drive according to the road and weather conditions and arrive alive to their destinations,” she said.
She said the campaign could involve stickers, pamphlets, and other ideas to encourage people to drive more cautiously, patiently, and to take more pride in their safe driving skills to make sure everyone gets to their destinations safely.
“I realize it is not just the truckers that need this, but we must begin somewhere, and the impact that a semi accident has is usually extremely tragic.”
She says she has no contempt towards the trucking industry, but is just a concerned Canadian who also wants to “Arrive Home Alive.”
In the 10 years she has lived in Avola, she’s had many close calls.
“We rarely go anywhere during the winter months, unless absolutely necessary,” she said. “There have been several accidents this winter and it has gotten to the point nobody is safe, including the truckers.”
The stretch of Hwy 5 between Clearwater and Valemount has many twists and turns and very few passing lanes.
Leger says we can all help save lives on the highways.
“There are many aspects to consider from the government standards down to the individual drivers.”
