Driver’s licensing requirements, a farce

Editor:

Having driven to Collingwood and back during the Dec. 15 snowstorm and having read today’s headline in The Echo about the serious crash near Avening I am tempted to reflect on the state of winter driving in our region.

At the risk of betraying my age I have been driving for over 50 years and have been involved in motorsports for many of them. From the 1960s to 1980s, I took part in both sports car racing and road rallying including winter rallies. None of these activities have ever frightened me as much as driving on Airport Road in the winter.

Canadian driver’s licence requirements are a farce, compared to those required by most European (especially Scandinavian) countries when it comes to winter driving.

We have no training in skid control, threshold braking, throttle steering, or any of the other skills necessary for safe winter driving.

While I understand many people cannot afford vehicles with all-wheel drive, stability control, or anti lock brakes all drivers can afford to drive with common sense. In addition, it is time that Ontario, like Quebec, make mandatory winter tires. It should be a cost of driving in this province just like insurance and vehicle maintenance.

On Airport Road I am consistently being passed by drivers far exceeding the speed limit, passing uphill or across double lines in poor visibility, and the most common of all, tailgating. Accidents are not caused by road and weather conditions. They are caused by the stupidity and carelessness of people who somehow feel the laws of physics do not apply to them.

Walter Sickinger,

Mulmur.