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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-07-20, Page 7until Star ' editorial Distracted drivers a menace on the road 50-ISSUE.X SHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 ial Star Publishing } Huckins Si, Epic 120 Goderich ON N7A 4B6 524-2614 w. goderichsignalstar.corn - SUN MEDIA A Queic°r Meda Cnrnpany nal deaaine Friday at 2 pm. IPTK)N RATES ADV. ASCE: $42 plus GST S39 phis GST S218.80 plus GST 095.60 plus GST .►Y $1 25 including (1ST Pi Mail Agreement 68 N UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES: TION DEPAttTMENT %Ikons St., PO. Boor 120 Goderich ON NM 406 ich Signal Star shall not be liable for failure an ad for typographical errors in publication the extent of the cost of that portion of the ad rye ear« occurred The Goderich Signal -Star nght to ro$ect or edit any advertisement. Signal -Star a proud member of the Ca - nity Newspapers Association (C,CNA► and Community Newspapers Association (OCNN too/ledge the financial support of the ent .of Canada through the Canadian mind (CPV) for our 'pubilshing acttvtdes. his past week, OPP officers across the province have been targeting distracted drivers. It's a campaign that begs for some diligent enforcement since the consequences of dis- tracted drivers on the road are as dangerous as offences committed by those who drink and drive. Despite the enactment of legislation ban- ning the use of hand-held electronic devices, it is not uncommon to witness people using cell phones to talk to others or text while driving. While the act of using a cell phone may seem innocuous and harmless, even the police use radio dispatch, the use of electronic devices is totally distracting and has lead to many accidents and deaths. Worse yet, is the practice of text 'messaging, a cheaper and more popular form of communication that directs a driver's atten- tion totally away from the wheel and the road. It's dangerous and it totally averts a driv- er's attention from the importance of the task of driving. Driving is all about concentration and focus. Carrying on a conversation on a cell phone or text messaging another person while driving, simply puts the driver and others at great risk. Today's generation is well educated on the drinking and driving issue. lhey are certainly a great deal more savvy and less tolerant of the practice of drinking and driving than the previous generation, their parents. But in today's world, there are still major distractions in a vehicle, especially for young people. Loud music or the antics and bantering of others in the vehicle are all forms of distraction to a driver, especially one who is young and inexperienced. It only takes a split second of inattentive- ness to cause a vehicle to .swerve into the path of oncoming traffic or veer on the soft shoulder of a highway. Lives can be lost in an instant. Mopes and dreams can vanish in a second. Distracted drivers are a real and dangerous problem on the road and the best defence is to educate all drivers about the potential hazards of using hand-held electronic devices, And young people need to be cognizant of the dan- gers presented by loud music and the carrying on of passengers. Driving is a privilege and we owe it to others on the road to respect the rules of the road and the laws designed to protect the driving public. It's up to all drivers to present a good example to others, especially their children. LAS LOW LADY DRIVEN ... G'MMN TOWN AND mAKE E'ER to the editor, The June 29 article ."Arts and Crafts Festi- val looking for resolution to park issue" by Gerard Creces was full of misinformation. Judy Stuart's comment that vendors are dropping off the Art -Mart to set up at the Flea Market is simply not true; there is only enough room for seasonal vendors at the Flea Market on the Art -Mart Sunday. For Ms Stuart to say that the Flea Market peo- ple are hobbyists when she admitted "1 don't honestly know the Flea Market peo- ple at all" shows how uninformed she is. Goderich Flea Market vendors include people who supplement their OAS pen- sions, part-time employment as well as people who make a living at it. Unlike most Art -Mart vendors who live miles away and come to-Goderich one weekend -a year, a large number of the Goderich Flea Market vendors are from I luron County;; of these there are 13 vendors who live in Goderich, these people support Goderich businesses 52 weeks a year, they also pay Goderich property taxes, .including both residential and commercial. The Goderich Flea market has been . going for 33 years, far longer than the Art - Mart. Yes it has been at a different location in town for most of those years, but being just a few blocks apart people have taken in both events. Would there even be an issue if one councilor was not involved rwith the Art -Mart? It's time she put on her councilor's hat and publicly supported both the Flea Mar- ket and Art -Mart as equally important events for Goderich• and The Square. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Signal Star welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must include the writer's full name, address, daytime phone number and signature (for verification). Anonymous letters will not be published. We reserve the right to edit all editorial submissions indu letters for clarification, style and length. Letters must be signed and be in good taste andfollow the laws of libel and slander.