To all the drivers on our highways,
For some of you it may have been 30, 40, 50, even 60 or more years since you’ve taken your driver’s test. Some people seem to have forgotten the rules of the road in those years.
I was nearly killed on the highway Saturday (Aug. 26) because an elderly man did not merge at speed and caused a moment of gridlock in the middle of the highway that would likely have killed several people, had myself and other drivers not been on our toes. Sadly, that is a normal occurrence.
Let me remind you:
The left lane is for passing and allowing mergers, not for travelling.
Highway on-ramps are not yield; they are merge. You must merge at speed so the flow of traffic maintains speed and safety for everyone. If you are already on the highway and see someone merging, move over to let them merge safely, and then fit yourself back into the right lane.
Driving below the average speed of the traffic around you is equally as dangerous as speeding, especially at the high speeds of our highways.
If you are not comfortable or capable of these simple things, please consider using alternate routes with lower speeds, or other means of transport.
Your convenience is not more important than our lives.
Stephanie Lytle
Qualicum Beach