Corrie-layne Ashton

An end to family
violence with good will:
throughout the year.

Hud Fisher
| would wish that every-
one would have a Merry
Christmas and a happy
‘ holiday.

If you could give Terrace
_ a gift for Christmas,
what would it be?

Charles Canaday ..
Join the two shopping.
centers together. ee

George Moran
An accident-free Christ-
mas.

| _ A bigger mall.

Clyde Johnson .
(from Aiyansh)
More jobs.

.Nenad Kontic
‘Perhaps better weather...

Kelly Pearce (left) Oenlse Vanderise (center)

‘| would also give Ter-
face a bigger mall for
_ Ghristmas, and some
> SNOW.

streets.

Joelle Walker (right)
Less garbage on the

Letters to the Editor -

a

Serious safety problem

To the Editor;

I would like to share a few
reflections on the level of
highway safety in this region as
it relates to enforcement of vehi-
cle maintenance standards.

Spontaneous road checks of
vehicles operating on our high-
ways appear to be real revenue
generators for this province. I
am unclear as to where all that
“fine” money is channelled, but

' [feel certain that it probably will

not ever be réturned to the area
from which it, was originally col-
lected. t

The laws governing our
highways should be enforced
with the interest of the travelling
public, the- people whose in-
terests the laws were designed to
protect. Speaking from that
point of view, it is my opinion
that many of the violations
found on our roads are suffi-
ciently serious that they should
come under the jurisdiction of
the Canada Criminal Code
rather than the provincial Motor
Vehicle Act.

I am referring specifically to
“unsafe vehicle’? violations,
which add immeasurably to the
potential danger of motor vehi-
cle accidents beyond the estab-
lished ‘‘frequency: of use’’
statistical forecasts. I am not
referring to cracked windshields
and burned-out lights, either.
My referral is the sort of viola-
tion that makes travelling an
otherwise “‘safe road’”’ unsafe.

During routine checks of-
ficials routinely find vehicle con-
ditions like ‘‘ho brakes’’, ‘‘faul-

ty tires’’, “‘severe gross weight

Pifer. —

each of the 75 ridings, where
they would watch the speeches
and cast their ballots.

It’s innovative, and it might
be a damnsight more fair than
the arm-twisting of selected
delegates swept up in a booze-

‘and-bedlam convention... but

it'll never fly.

There are too many vested
interests and power brokers
within the province who want
to influence any leadership
decision, just as they have done

'- so in the past, and I cannot im-

agine PERG’s plan ever being
allowed to happen, That would
be much, much too demo-
cratic! os

continued from page AB’,

overloads’
sence of Safety Inspection Cer-
tificates on commercial vehicles.

These are among the vehicles
that we, our families and our
friends meet on the road each
day. It is the operators of unsafe
vehicles that are violating the
rights of other motorists and
their families. But where does it
end — more frequent road
checks, stiffer penalties? A little
more awareness by all highway
transportation users? -.

The officials who, without
warning, stop and check
vehicles, whether they are
private or commercial, are there
for the protection and safety of
the public: they work for us. In
that way ‘road’ travellers,
whether industrialists .or
tourists, are given reasonable
assurance of safe . operating
practices and procedures. I
‘would welcome the strict ap-

plication of this principle; it

would heighten my peace of
mind, and I’m sure others feel
the same way. This is why we
have safety laws.

My message to those officials
is: don’t protect anyone who
operates unsafely, get them off
our roads.

Roxann Kidner,
Elsworth, B.C.

Editor’s note: Elsworth is a
permanent logging camp com-
munity located near Meziadin
Junction, As can be seen in the
photograph supplied by Ms.
Kidner, traffic inthe area is in-
tensely industridl,.

key

Parting Thought: The Van- ss

couver Sun has urged the
premier to “go, now’’; the Vic-
toria Times Colonist says he
will stay because there is no ob-
vious succc sor, and no legacy
to leave on a high note as
Pierre Elliot Trudeau did.
Chances are that over the
Christmas season, Bill Vander
Zalm will get more advice — —
from all quarters — on whether
he should go or stay, than he
ever has on anything in his .
20-plus years of political life. ~

And knowing the man, he’ ii is |

note it-all.

», and even the ab-

aaa