Hopes for a healthy 2024

Well, here we go barreling from one year to the next like a runaway truck on a 12% grade. As I get older, the days seem to accelerate exponentially.

It’s been a long time since I’ve made New Year’s resolutions. That’s simply because after having almost lost my life a couple times – and with former peers who are no longer around – making promises to get better once a year seems pointless.

Instead, here’s another cliché: I try to live each day as if it were my last. Not in the sense that I’m trying to knock items off my bucket list, but enjoying all the little moments that life offers.

It is still interesting to look back on the year. What has been learned? Have things stayed the same? What are the positive improvements?

I have been told many times that my work as an advocate for others in the industry dealing with head injury, depression and post-traumatic stress is pointless. What can I do as one voice? The big players don’t listen.

Positive impact

To those I say, I don’t care. There isn’t a scorecard for “lives saved” or “others lifted up”. I know I’ve had a positive impact on some people. Every one of us leaves an impact, so make it a good one.

This past year I’ve met some amazing people who make a positive impact at their trucking companies. It’s so good to see others in positions of power who are on the same page as I am regarding drivers. What’s really cool, is that it has come at some unexpected companies. I believe that we’ll keep making progress because happy and supported drivers make companies money.

A disturbing and sad reality from the past year is the number of deaths that are occurring on our highways. These have included some very close to me and to other friends.

I personally had a hard time dealing with some of those incidents this year. They were senseless, tragic, and totally avoidable. The privilege of getting a licence is far too easy and the penalties for unsafe acts hardly even qualify as punitive.

More robust training

Every licence should require a much more robust training period. We should look to countries in Europe or Scandinavia for guidance.

The cost and time of training here pales compared to theirs. Overseas, it doesn’t take a lot for drivers to go to jail after multiple infractions. This is not hearsay. I’ve been there many times and have family living there. It’s past time that we in Canada shape up.

Here’s another thing I’ve seen increase in the past year: vehicles without lights. Many small trailers have few lights that work properly or at all. Every single day, I see construction trailers and utility trailers without working lights. In Manitoba there is no safety requirement for most of those units. I think it should become mandatory for all vehicles to have basic inspections every year.

‘Ghost’ cars

While we’re at it, why not take the light switch out of vehicles? As long as we have a dash that lights up, drivers are going to forget to turn on their lights. Rip the switch out and if the car is running, all lights are on.

It’s unbelievable that we haven’t done this yet. There are still a lot of people who don’t understand the automatic “A” on their light switch. So, take it out. Car on? Lights on. In the old days if your alternator was dying you could limp around without lights. Not today. If your alternator doesn’t work these days, you won’t be going far, so being able to turn your lights off won’t help you.

Lastly, keep making your health a priority. Office staff, drivers, children – take care of yourselves. There’s plenty of life to be enjoyed but we need to have health to do so. Some people are just able to live. Some can run marathons. But we can all do our best to live a healthy life.

Let’s make 2024 a year where we all buckle up, or down, and enjoy the small moments in life as we roll.