Blame is not the issue. Rather it’s awareness.
Let’s get the stereotypes out of the way:
Women are lousy drivers!
Chinese can’t drive!
Old codgers should not be on the road!
Teenaged drivers should not be allowed on the road!
Police are handcuffed by impotent laws regarding poor drivers.
Maybe there are plausible explanations for poor drivers. Many drivers are new immigrants unfamiliar with driving in Canada. Driver licensing may be need more stringent testing and regulation. Driving violators should receive more serious punishment for traffic violations. Confiscation of property, car, phones, should be a reasonable punishment for traffic violations. Jail sentence may not be a reasonable or practical solution to reduction of traffic violations, but alternatives to fines need to be considered.
Police have more than enough on their plates already. Adding increased traffic monitoring may not be practical or feasible. Instead, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, the department responsible for traffic and vehicle regulation in the province should implement property confiscation, done in an escalating manner as the alternative to the the punishment and fine system currently in use.
Confiscation of the user’s phone for a week for first time offenders would reduce repeat offenses by these offenders. “I cannot work without my phone.” Too bad! “I can’t live without my phone.” Try! Repeat offenders lose their phones for a month. Just shelve the phone at the local police station with an expiry tag.
Loss of license or its suspension is a waste of time. There are many drivers on the road driving without proper licensing or while under suspension. Confiscate their car for a period of time will stop their driving or make it less likely for them to drive, at least one vehicle. Again, repeat offenders would have the confiscation period last longer and longer. Perhaps, rather than long term prison sentences, destruction of the the violator’s vehicle might make people think longer, deeper and more seriously before disregarding driving regulations.
Drunk drivers would receive the same treatment. Retain the fine system, driver’s license suspension system we now have but add to it, confiscation of vehicle for the period of the suspension. Yes, the violator may use another vehicle. If caught, confiscate and make the confiscation period longer. At least those vehicles would not be on the road again for a period. The driver may not be stopped from repeating the offense, but it will be more difficult without the cars in question.
Constitutional questions, personal rights infringement? Invoke the ‘notwithstanding’ clauses. Make life miserable for the social miscreants. They choose to endanger people’s lives? Let them spend money in court fighting it. Add society’s legal cost to their legal bill. Can’t pay? Confiscate the vehicle till payment is made.
It’s time people took driving more seriously. It’s a privilege that is abused by many drivers who can get away with poor driving habits under our current system of punishment.
