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HOLLAND
COLLEGE • March 5, 2002
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INSIDE |
EDITORIAL
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| Anti-theft
devices in cars not the only way to prevent high speed deaths Julie Veinot julieveinot@hotmail.com 
There's an easy solution to prevent speeding and high speed chases. Make the speedometer stop at 130 or 140 kilometers an hour. If you disagree with this, it begs the question ÑÊwhat the hell are you doing when you are driving 150 kilometers an hour? Unless you're a police officer on patrol, you shouldn't be flying along the road at anything beyond 130. Even that is a stretch. Some Canadian cars are marked for 240 kilometers an hour and owners are proud of this. A proposal by Canada's justice ministers to install more anti-theft devices in cars so they can't be stolen and used in high speed chases is good, but wouldn't it be easier to force vehicle companies to make their models speed-proof? Some cars already have a shut-off point, where the engine shuts down if you exceed that speed. But that can be anywhere from 170 kilometers an hour and up. The shut-off point should be lowered to 130 or 140 kilometers an hour. I'll admit even that is an excessive speed, but all cars should have the ability to overtake a car when passing. Think of the lives it would save. Your loved ones, for instance. Justice ministers are responding to a plea from an Ottawa woman whose brother died in a high-speed chase. Sgt. Rick McDonald was a member of the Sudbury regional police when he chased three teenagers in a stolen van. They ended up in a collision that killed McDonald and one of the teenagers. Manitoba's justice minister says auto theft is not just a crime against property. "There are Canadians, often young Canadians, who are getting killed and permanently disabled as a result of auto theft. We need different strategies," Gord Mackintosh told the Canadian Press. While putting more anti-theft devices in cars is worth applauding, why not make cars so they cannot be driven so fast? Whatever vehicle you drive Ñ I'm pointing my fingers at you sport-utility owners who think your vehicle is a tank Ñ a high-speed crash is deadly for you and those around you. Keeping within the speed limit, which is limited to 110 kilometres an hour on Canadian highways, could save your life. It means you wouldn't be able to speed just to see how well your vehicle tops out. It means the hot-shot youngster next door who just got his or her license won't be "filling the clock" on their car the second they hit the open road. Why? Because they can't. Do I hear the parents of young drivers breathing a sigh of relief? In this day and age, there are regulations everywhere to prevent people from doing stupid things. What is one more? |
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