Lately I have to depend on kind friends to give me rides to events that take place after dusk. I find it difficult to manage driving on country roads when it's dark and I was told that most seniors have that issue. And yes there were missed turn offs, simply because I did not see them and once, I nearly turned into a bus stop along Cowichan Bay road!
I made peace with the idea that I have to depend on others to drive me when it's dark. However, imagine my surprise when they were having problems negotiating the rural roads as well. They, like I, were wondering why there was no better marking of the roads and no light at intersections. No"'cat eyes" to mark the centre or reflective beacons along the winding roads. Often we crawled around the bends in the middle of the road, praying there would not be any ongoing traffic.
Trying to read the road signs at night is impossible and to find your way without a GPS is a real dare, especially when the suburb is so new it's not included in the GPS system yet.
For those who have lived most of their lives in well lit areas, moving to the Cowichan Valley area with all its charm, also has its challenges. Traffic has increased in this area, but road safety has not kept up with the population needs.
In the meantime I will play it safe and hope that my driver's eyesight is better than mine.
Judy van der Boom
Cowichan Bay
