Dear Editor,
It is always sad news to read about some poor soul losing their life on our local roads. What is even sadder is to realize these accidents are always preventable.
The RCMP are always quick to cite these drivers as driving too fast for conditions.
I suppose that is a lot easier than demanding more from contractors who put the bottom line over human life.
I don’t care what the politics are, road maintenance has deteriorated over the terms of both right and left-wing governments.
We, who work in this area, have no choice but to drive to work no matter what the conditions.
The employers in this area are among the biggest tax payers and payroll providers in the province, and should have the clout to demand better, safer roads for their employees to travel to and from work on.
WorkSafeBC would never allow such unsafe conditions at a job site, yet workers are faced every day with the choice of driving in unsafe conditions or losing a day’s pay.
The legislated right to refuse unsafe work doesn’t mean much if you die trying to get there.
I have never seen such poor road maintenance in 33 years of travelling from Merritt to Highland Valley.
I have also noticed that these conditions are a common topic in the coffee shops and gathering places around town.
They are not doing any more than the bare minimum, and that puts lives at risk.
The RCMP can always trot out that little chestnut about too fast for conditions, but they would have a little more credibility if they too would demand that the contractor does a better job.
Mike Kempf
Merritt
