Editorial by Mark Nielsen, Staff Writer, Peace River Block News, Nov. 25, 1998

From the cute acronym to the funding source, the Canadians for Responsible and Safe Highways -- otherwise known as CRASH -- is a lobby group in the worst sense if there ever was one. For years, CRASH has posed as the advocates for safe truck driving in Canada. But the fact that they receive funding from the railways, which compete with the trucking industry, makes their stance suspect.

Indeed, considering who's backing CRASH, their alarmist tones about a proposal to allow so-called "Rocky Mountain Doubles" to cross the border from Alberta and venture a whole 40 kilometres to Dawson Creek is not surprising.

They warn that the B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA) is merely trying to "get a foot in the door" and we'll soon see these longer trucks and semi-trailers dominating our highways wreaking havoc everywhere. Further increasing the tension is the misguided belief that they'll be thundering along the Alaska Highway getting in the way of tourists. Give us a break!

For one thing, the danger imposed by these trucks is highly inflated, especially since they're used on only certain sections of road. If the BCTA numbers are anything to go by, (and they're based on a U.S. government study) the fatality rate involving these trucks is once in every 124 years compared to once every 92 years for tractor semi-trailers.

Sure, truckers and businesspeople are looking at the economic benefits that will come with allowing trips to be completed in a single run, rather than forcing truckers to leave part of the load at the weigh scale in Demmitt.

But just as important, Rocky Mountain Doubles are at least as safe as the regular trucks and semi-trailers. The government should allow them to be driven to Dawson Creek.