Driving Highway 5A all the way to Kamloops for the first time last weekend was an eye opener.

It's an incredibly scenic drive full of wildlife, but it is also very dangerous.

Winding roads, several sharp turns, and a rural setting of farming vehicles and much wildlife make the highway a recipe for disaster.

People like to cut corners, especially tractor-trailer trucks, and it seems that they can't always stay centered in the lanes.
Now, keep in mind that my perspective is that of a very casual user at most. I can't imagine what it must be like for those using the highway on a daily basis.

The Saturday morning on which I chose to travel was fairly quiet along the roads, and there were few cars and trucks passing in each direction, but I can imagine the speed at which vehicles must travel during business hours.

I was startled by the amount of wildlife close to and passing across the highway. You certainly don't see small birds flying low across the Coq like you do on 5A. If my small car came close to hitting birds several times, how much more the likelihood of big rigs hitting them?

Ranchers living near the infamous stretch of road seem to agree that something needs to be done, and some, including Kamloops MLA Kevin Krueger, have suggested a truck ban.

Quilchena rancher Mike Rose says there should be a ban on trucks that are passing through on their way to Kamloops and beyond.

This seems like not a bad idea, since trucks have a readily available and even faster trek to Kamloops via the Coquihalla Highway.

According to recent reports, truckers are taking 5A to save money on gas (there are fewer and very mild inclines compared to the Coq) and to avoid the weigh scales.

B.C. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond said, in a statement this week, that there are other ways of dealing with the increase in accidents along 5A and that a ban would “set a precedent.”

What precedent might that be? To protect what's left of the shrinking rural communities and farmers while they travel to and fro?

How does saving money on gas justify risking the lives of rural dwellers?

As Fraser-Nicola MLA Harry Lali points out, Highway 5A is engineered with certain weight restrictions and thresholds in mind, and by trucks avoiding the weigh scales, cornering, road stability, and speed recommendations are some of the safe driving aspects that are potentially compromised.

How do we know we're not trying to balance a bowling ball on a wet noodle?

Add in the worsening of driver habits, and the answer becomes clear.

If we were to keep big rigs off of 5A, save those whose destination were somewhere between Kamloops and Merritt, wouldn't more than just a few misers benefit?

The 5A corridor is laid out through a pristine and beautiful valley. It's certainly one of the nicest drives I've ever driven in the B.C. interior.

— John O'Connor