Corner Brook -
Silver bells aside, it's Christmas time in the city.
Along with busy sidewalks comes crowded parking lots. Busy parking lots means fewer places to leave one's vehicle at the busy box stores and malls. Many times that leads to longer walks to entrances, often in cold and sometimes stormy weather.
This appears to make those large unoccupied fire lanes even more enticing. However, all the excuses in the world still doesn't make it safe or legal.
Const. Brad Saint of the Corner Brook Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, says vehicles parking in fire lanes is a problem that manifests itself every holiday season.
"It's a large problem actually, and the fire department is having issues with it as well," he said. "There's people parked and leaving their vehicles and they're parked and waiting in their vehicles for people to come out. Both, of course, is illegal."
Firstly, this activity is dangerous in emergency situations. Fire trucks could need these spaces in responding to a fire, medical emergency or industrial accident. When vehicles occupy the spaces designated for these large trucks, it could mean the difference between life and death in an emergency situation.
Secondly, Saint said it also poses a safety risk for the general public at any point in time. With the increased number of motorists and pedestrians during the holiday season, vehicles parked this close to sidewalks and entrances block people's vision.
"It's more of my concern for smaller children, who are excited for Christmas and Santa and all the rest, they come running out from the store, between the two vehicles or even in front of a vehicle and into the regular traffic," he said. "The vehicles may only be travelling 10 or 15 km/h, but a small child weighing about 60 pounds that gets hit by a 2,000-pound car is going to cause damage.
"We are trying to be preventative and proactive, before we have to go deal with a situation we don't want to have to deal with, especially this time of year."
Saint said people not realizing, or caring about the consequences of parking in fire lanes, is also a part of the problem.
The officer said unauthorized parking in places designated for people with mobility issues is also problematic this time of year.
Police have been, and will continue, to hand out traffic tickets.
"We are not going to tolerate the blocking up of fire lanes," Saint said. "It's just a tragedy waiting to happen and we don't need to see it here in Corner Brook."
