Hamlet of Pangnirtung flouts road safety rules?

I have been meaning for a long time to write a letter about safety on Pangnirtung’s roads.

All summer long we see the public — including hamlet council members — riding their ATV s without any helmets.

I remember when we were told to wear helmets because there was, or still is, a bylaw that requires ATV operators to wear a helmet.

What kind of message is the hamlet council sending to the public when they are breaking the bylaws? Also, there are a lot of underage drivers riding ATVs at extremely high speeds.

It’s now that time of year when snowmobilers hit the road. I’m starting to see a lot of kids with out any supervision driving snowmobiles driving on the left side of the roads.

What is the bylaw officer doing? They seem to ignore the local bylaws they are supposed to enforce.

They are on the road from time to time, but when they see someone with a road offence or violation, they just look the other way. For example, when a young person driving an ATV without any helmet goes past the speed limit.

And in the winter season, we see young teens who are going even faster, passing large trucks and others on the roads.

Is the hamlet just waiting for an accident to happen? When will the rules of the roads be enforced?

If there is a major accident involving underage drivers or someone who shouldn’t be driving, such as driving a car with outdated registration, the Hamlet of Pangnirtung will or should be liable because they don’t enforce their own by-laws.

Furthermore, there are countless road signs that should be replaced or repaired. I have seen numerous stop signs that are missing or have been vandalized.

Before there is a major accident, I hope the Hamlet of Pangnirtung will start enforcement of road safety.

(Name withheld by request)
Pangnirtung


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