90 ~ Friday, Auguat 1, 1997 ~ North Shore News

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~ Eye control

REMOTE race car fanatic Murray Uncyk tweeks his machine during a recent aiter-
noon of racing at MacKay Perk in North Vancouver (behiiid The Avalon Hotel). The

ace Club (TGRC) is holding a major race weekend today through
Sunday. A great long weekend event for the whole family. info: Dave at 906-8339.

Top Qualifier

“MERCEDES BENZ OWNERS

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Pedal-down Montana
sends bold message

A couple of years apo I
reported to you, faith-
ful readers, that
Montana had just
launched a new speed
Management program:
No daytime speed lim-
its!

That great United State
that feels suspiciously like
Saskatchewan except for
cheap gas and beer, went out
ona limb by being the first
(and only) in the Union to
abolish the limit (for cars
only), It seemed like folly at
first: their new daytime
speed regulation merely told

rivers in that brave state to
motor along at a “reasonable
and prudent” speed. In
effect, drivers were told to
exercise common sense —
who'd a thunk it?

Iv’s funny, but all rules of
the road are based on this
simple ideology. If a
Montana driver was lacking
commion sense, crashing or -
causing a crash because of |
excess speed it really had
nothing to do with a posted
speed limit — the stats are
‘in, but I'll get to those
shortly. :

It also appeared that
Montanians had finally real-
ized that the fast drivers

$2600 down, 24 months.

PrIUEEVSELIESOSTISISITEVIVELSTePatr ite

Were not necessarily crazy
people with a death wish,
nor simpletons who drove
about looking for things to
crash into, A case in point
can be taken from our very
own highways, On many
occasions we have all wit-
nessed 100-kilometre-per-
hour traffic in 80-km-h
speed zones where the pru-
dent drivers go with the
flow. It’s simply reasonable.

Granted, a speed limit is
being broken, but another
law that tells drivers to have
“reasonable consideration
for other persons using the
highway” is being obeyed in
spades. Speed enforcement
officers openly admit to 10 |,
to 20 km-h speed “cush-
ions.” Those of you uncom-
fortable with these slightly
higher speeds, or if you drive
a vehicle incapable of these
speeds, should be in the
right lane —— not only is it-
safer, it’s the law,

What would happen if we
in beautifd B.C. wanted ta
abolish our speed [asbts? [1
Moauna, the numerous
opponents to such an idea
(the same folks who tout the
“speed kills” slogan snd
force us to hang our beads
in shame) predicted that dri-
vers would be doing 100
miles per hour, and highway
fatalities would increase dra-
matically. We'd probably
hear the same rhetoric here.

Back on my high horse, .
speed itvitself'is NOT the
cause of crashes, itis merely
a “contributing factor.”

Stupidity kills. Selfishness
kills, Nonsensical driving
kills. The lack of common
sense kills, Comis to think of
it, talking ona cell phone .
while driving is, statistically,
a “contributing factor” in
car crashes, ;

Now, as for the latest
Montana stats, it seems that” -

“them there Montanians are

reasonably prudent drivers.
Between April and June of
1996; 83% of drivers drove
the urban interstates faster

- that the previous limit of 55

m.p.h.; 31% drove more

than 65 m.p.h.; but only 9%

drove above 75 m.p.h.
Further, the number of

See Stupidity pave 31

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:

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$3000 down, 24 months. $12,576

” .

‘exciting action
this weekend
cas 150 race
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: “emer eR TNE REE IA EF OEM EL SG BOTS AIT LE BIEL A ITO Le XL CIC Diesel, pls, 4x4, 5 speed. Lal SIC XLT 2 wheel drive, auto, air cond, titicruise, phy, b -
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yr Sate
y

fi I does it all! 7
of Tnsid BC. While stock ae
Call Danny McDonald at 327-7752. :.

Brought to ERS errs

_ Cell 649-5414 oF 1-800-993-3673 °