You love your car, so #SlowDown
Show your ride how much you care and ease off the gas pedal
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so let’s talk about love. Specifically, the love between a driver and vehicle.
Whether it’s a brand-new truck with comfy seats and ample leg room, or a veteran clunker with a decade-plus of memories, it’s not unusual or wrong to share a special connection with your vehicle. After all, our cars, trucks, SUVs and vans take us wherever we want to go. They protect us from the cold and give us a quiet space to think.
As it happens, Valentine’s Day falls right in the middle of the February Traffic Safety Spotlight, which focuses on slowing down.
Call us hopeless romantics, but we think one of the best ways you can show your vehicle how much you care is by easing off the gas pedal a bit. It will:
lower the chances you’ll get in a collision and keep your treasured vehicle safe from harm (along with you, your passengers, and any other humans or pets);
increase the quality time you spend together, allowing you to enjoy the ride and create cherished memories;
build a lasting relationship by reducing the wear and tear on your engine;
help you avoid an expensive speeding ticket and leave you more disposable income to treat your beloved to deluxe car washes and auto detailing.
This may be a lighthearted approach to encouraging drivers to slow down, but there are many reasons that obeying speed limits is seriously important. Beyond the potential damage to your vehicle or the cost of a speeding ticket is the very real risk of injury or death from a crash caused by driving too fast. Speed-related collisions cause 514 injuries and 16 deaths in Saskatchewan each year, on average.*
“The faster you speed, the less time you have to react,” said SGI President and CEO Penny McCune. “And if a collision does happen, higher speeds equal more damage and a greater risk of injury and death.”
Driving at a reasonable speed means you aren’t tailgating the vehicle in front of you or unable to stop for that red light or pedestrian crossing. At this time of year, we’re still dealing with winter driving conditions, and slowing down will help you pass safely through intersections even when the roads are covered with ice or snow.
Plus, slowing down increases your chances of hearing your favourite song on the radio and brushing up on your karaoke skills. It extends meaningful conversations with your passengers and maybe your toddler’s nap in the backseat.
This month, show how much you care: #SlowDown and #TakeCareOutThere.