Overhearing more than one comment about speed traps and police blitzes on Osoyoos’s roadways during the long weekend brought up a curious question:
Were the drivers being ticketed for going too fast or too slow?
While it’s great that police were out in force to nail speeders, one has to wonder if the same commitment to busting unsafe drivers could be given not only to those who drive dangerously over the speed limit, but those who drive under it.
Most locals know that driving along Hwy. 97 between Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls can be a tedious adventure, especially as the summer tourist season swings into full gear, as motorists meander the two-lane highway, often driving way under posted limits.
Slow driving is just as dangerous as fast driving as it forces many people to attempt passing at unsafe spots along the road.
And those who can’t pass may develop a nasty case of road rage that can lead to actions that are even more unsafe or possibly some kind of retribution against the driver causing the slowdown.
Aside from the danger factor, slow driving can prevent people from getting to meetings or appointments on time and can delay the delivery of goods up and down the valley.
This issue even came up as a topic of discussion during the provincial election when it was mentioned at an all-candidates forum in Osoyoos that the average speed along Hwy. 97 in the summer is 67 kilometres an hour.
All four local candidates said the road needs more passing lanes.
Other options could include imposing minimum speed limits as they do on major highways in Quebec, or following the example of some states in the U.S. and creating pull-off sections where slower drivers can get out of the way and let the line-up of vehicles pass.
If you don’t get out of the way, you’re eligible to get a ticket.
Until a solution is put into place, all of us drivers who enjoy and require a good of flow of traffic have a suggestion: please obey the speed limit in both directions— don’t speed and don’t go too slow.