A lot of us don’t like being told what to do. Some are even less receptive to advice when they’re behind the wheel.
Those two things are true and here’s a third: the Yellowknife RCMP still have a job to do.
And if we’re all responsible for creating the sort of city we want to live in, this gleaming capital of the Great White North, there are some simple things we can do, or avoid doing, to give them more time to focus on the big things.
The police, in turn, have made it easy for us by pointing some of them out, in some cases, repeatedly.
Let’s start with locking our vehicles and not leaving them running with the keys (or “fob,” if you prefer) still inside them. This isn’t a new concept. It would surely help in preventing some vehicle thefts, and Yellowknife has unfortunately been experiencing a spate of stolen vehicles lately.
Eleven sets of wheels were driven off without the owners’ consent between Sept. 1 and Oct. 18, according to the Mounties. Five of those rides had the keys left inside, making the job so much easier for the criminals.
Yellowknife is suffering from a crime wave, but also from some citizens lacking vigilance. The latter can be easily rectified.
Another message we hear regularly from the police is not to drink and drive or to be distracted while behind the wheel. There have been numerous campaigns – including by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) – raising awareness about this for decades.
And yet when the RCMP hold Operation Impact each fall, as they did during the Oct. 8 to 11 weekend, there are often a few motorists who defy common sense and wind up with a fine, an impounded vehicle and a scheduled court appearance.
Also among the reminders from the Mounties during the Thanksgiving long weekend were to wear seatbelts, don’t drive while tired and not to drive aggressively.
All of that should be a given, but we see it all the time: drivers who tailgate, pass when they shouldn’t and speed up to blow through traffic lights that just turned red.
How many times have you spotted people fidgeting with their phones while cruising along Franklin Avenue?
It’s irresponsible and it’s criminal.
But if you see such dangerous behaviour while driving, feel free to take note of the associated licence plate, pull over and then pull out your phone to dial the RCMP and report it. That’s when having a cellphone in a vehicle can be a real benefit.