Westworld Saskatchewan

SPEAKER'S CORNER 6 W E S T W O R L D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 According to a CAA poll conducted earlier this year, 90 per cent of Canadians said texting while driving is socially unacceptable. Additionally, 22 per cent of Canadians admitted to reading or sending a text message while driving. e three most common rea- sons people cite for texting and driving are connecting with family, urgent personal matters and work, according to the poll. Among the Saskatchewan poll partici- pants, some 14 per cent said they had texted or emailed while driving, or witnessed others doing the same, more than 10 times within a 30-day period; 21 per cent said six to 10 times; and 44 per cent said one to fi ve times. ese fi gures suggest that advocacy work is still required to help motorists break the habit of texting or emailing while driving. CAA considers this to be a serious traffi c safety issue that impacts all road users, not just our members. A new CAA advocacy campaign is being developed that focuses on the dangers of texting while driving. CAA Saskatchewan will launch the campaign later this month via social media with digital, radio and video ads. Texting while driving emerged as a phenomenon just a few years ago. It is now illegal in all provinces, but as with other road safety issues such as seat- belt usage and drinking and driv- ing, laws are only part of the equation. e next step is to make texting and driving as socially unac- ceptable as drinking and driving. e CAA poll also asked Canadians to rank their top 10 road safety concerns. ey are, in order: texting or emailing while driving; drink- ing and driving; drivers running red lights; speeding on residential streets; driving aggres- sively; sleepy drivers; driving after using illegal drugs; talking on a cellphone while driving; driving well over the speed limit; and talking to or engaging with their in-car systems. Safe driving and take good care. –Barry D. Martin, P. Eng. Regina Chair of the Board Smitten with Knittin' Wow! What a great article by Liz Bryan ("Joy of Knitting," Spring 2015). She captured the atmosphere of our retreat and St. Peter's Abbey perfectly. People obviously read Westworld as we have had many calls and emails regarding the article from knitters and non-knitters alike. W –Wendy Toye Knitting Retreat Organizer Write us: Speaker's Corner, Westworld Saskatchewan, 200 Albert Street N., Regina, SK S4R 5E2; email: caa.admin@caask.ca. Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity. Texting and Driving Don't Mix

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