Dear Editor:
Are you the person who was driving north on Chesterfield Avenue in North Vancouver, and turning east onto 16th Street on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m.?
You were alone. You were intent on what you were doing. But you were not intent on the business of properly controlling your vehicle.
You failed to notice the elderly lady with a cane at the southwest crosswalk who was clearly waiting for the traffic to stop so that she could safely cross the road.
No, you were too busy talking on your cellphone. It was in your left hand, to your ear, as you wheeled through the crosswalk, and turned right onto 16th Street. No attention being paid to anyone but yourself. Was your phone conversation more important than the safety of that lady? Are your needs more important than everyone else’s security?
Fortunately, the lady was able to cross the road safely after you drove away. But I was left shaking my head at what I had witnessed. If a member of the RCMP had been around, you would have received two tickets – one for failing to stop at the crosswalk when a pedestrian was trying to cross ($167), and a second for distracted driving (using an electronic device while driving – $368). And you would have received seven points on your driver’s licence – points that add up and increase the cost of your car insurance.
All of us need to be aware of what we are doing on the roads, as drivers, pedestrians or cyclists. Please help to make 2017 a safer year on all the North Shore roads.
Alison Watt
North Vancouver
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