drive safe . . . please

The May long weekend is historically the beginning of Upsala Fire Department's "busy" season. Just to qualify that, we aren't ever really busy, compared to our city cousins, but this is the time of year when wildfires burn (when it isn't snowing) and people travel.

The travellers are the ones that give us most of our business. You'd think they would be more likely to crash in a January blizzard than in a July heatwave, but statistics show differently. Statistics are kind of a morbid therometer for the guys that study traffic. About 2500 vehicles drive through Upsala on an average day, more in the summer. 60-80 per year drive off the road or run into another vehicle. About 30 of those folks get to personally meet Upsala's fine paramedics and firefighters. A dozen or so get to a ride in an ambulance. One or two get to ride in a hearse. A good chunk of this stuff happens between the end of May and the first of September in our neck of the woods.

By the way, did you know that 78.3% of Canadians are bored by statistics?

The moral of the story is be careful out there! Drive slower. Buckle up. Chill out. If you really want to meet the local paramedics and firefighters, stop by for coffee.

Sometimes folks just don't get the "drive safely" thing. Check out this kid, for example. I bet he isn't even wearing his seatbelt.

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Then there's this guy, who was obviously reading the message on the billboard instead of watching where he was going.

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Have a great long weekend!