I have a Class 1 Licence, and I earn my living from driving. The pickup trucks people are complaining about (‘Ban them’: Victoria residents fed up with ginormous trucks in downtown core - on vicnews.com) are smaller than many of the vehicles I drive.
Having stated that, I frequently observe many vehicles – large and small – parked very poorly and/or illegally throughout the CRD. Drivers just don’t seem to care, and there appears to be not enough enforcement.
The first photo associated with your article appears to be on Broad Street with a white pickup truck parked well beyond a designated spot and into the roadway. That truck should have been both ticketed and towed immediately.
The relatively new angle parking near the breakwater on Dallas Road often has large vehicles (trucks, vans, what have you) parked very poorly, such that they are partially blocking the roadway and creating a hazard for drivers and cyclists (who choose to ride on the road and not the mixed-use pathway). These vehicles also should be both ticketed and towed immediately.
With little to no enforcement, parking behaviour will not improve.
The actual driving of large vehicles in the downtown core is really not the issue.
Why? Because the worst pedestrian and cycling behaviour can be found in the downtown core.
Many pedestrians and cyclists do not seem to care whatsoever about their own safety, and will simply cross paths with a vehicle without looking, and certainly without making eye contact with drivers of vehicles. This reckless behaviour needs to be curtailed, and the race to the bottom of lowering speed limits is not going to do much to prevent the actual number of vehicle collisions with pedestrians and cyclists.
Lower speed limits might affect pedestrian and cyclist mortality rates following collisions with vehicles, but the goal should be instead to prevent these collisions in the first place. There seems to be not enough emphasis at all on pedestrians and cyclists taking any responsibility whatsoever for their behaviour when vehicles – large and small – are present.
Trevor Amon
Victoria
