The Allures and Dangers of the Open Road

I feel the rumble and roar of the Dodge Charger’s engine deep in my stomach and lungs, and my breath quickens. It’s perhaps my dad, Jim’s, last car – and it’s wicked American horsepower at its best. Dad doesn’t drive it anymore, but sometimes my husband, Derrick, takes my dad for a rip and they marvel at the power of the beloved muscle car. 

The charismatic Charger isn’t my dad’s only purchase of a car with guts, but it may be the last in a long line of race-worthy rides. After starting his career as a mechanic in the 1960s, he worked on countless vehicles over the years – many of them his own. We asked Jim recently: “How many cars have you had in your lifetime?” In the 1960s and ’70s, he often street raced in Toronto, and he tells some wonderful stories of how he “modded” cars back in the day – making modifications to engines, wheels, fuel intake systems and turbo power – to improve the “burn.”

It makes us shake our heads with disapproval. It’s so dangerous! What were you thinking?! He shines with pride when he talks about modding other cars to soup them up, improving the vehicle’s performance, driveability or horsepower. Some were so powerful, he says he could feel the front bumper lifting. Too fast! we say. Scary. It’s no wonder my son, Adrian, loves to mod his car, and has plans every week on how to better tune and improve his horsepower and ride. 

Here in these hills, we are a car-focused community. If you live here, you most likely drive. We have a large geography of mostly agricultural land with towns spread out and hamlets in between. Many commuters travel by car to work in the mornings. We also take our kids to the ski hill, the ice rink, the library, etc., in a vehicle. Teenagers find their freedom when they can finally drive after getting their licences through the graduated system.

For me, driving can sometimes be overwhelming and terrifying. And this is not an exaggeration – I am a confident driver. The winter behind us presented some serious weather challenges, with whiteouts and drifting beyond the pale. After white-knuckling it home from late-night work meetings several times, I vowed I was moving south.

At dusk one day this past fall Derrick was driving north on Highway 10 and witnessed a bad accident. When he saw a man lying in the roadway with apparently serious injuries and calling for help, Derrick jumped in to stem the bleeding. By a strange coincidence, a paramedic was driving toward the accident on his way to another call. He stopped to help and, together with a paramedic team that had been dispatched, helped save the life of a young father and husband. 

I know none of those involved want recognition – that’s not the point of the anecdote. What is worth noting is the shocking frequency of this type of horrifying accident on our roads. The Town of Mono has gone to the extent of declaring the municipality in a state of emergency when it comes to road safety issues, sending a letter to the Ontario government in 2024 and repeatedly advocating for the province to take action to address the council’s concerns.

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I’m from a long line of car enthusiasts. Yet, after my husband’s recent experience, I’m terrified to drive on Highway 10 – that accident plays over and over in my mind. If it had happened a moment later, it could have been my husband in a wheelchair in Sunnybrook, learning to walk and navigate life again. I now fear one of my family members or friends might make a mistake on the road that costs a life – theirs or someone else’s – and pay with fines or jail time, as well as carry the weight of their actions for a lifetime.

What can be done? Citizens and councils are paying attention. Community safety zones, automated speed enforcement and improved intersection signals are being worked on. Orangeville recently agreed to reduce the speed limit to 60 km an hour for a portion of Riddell Road, and to consider a Community Safety Zone for the popular bypass around the outside of town. Lobbying to change speed limits, and add to the layers of laws and enforcement, takes time and persistence. The improvements all slowly inch forward, but do not happen fast enough to take the fear out of driving our roads for many of us.

Yet, driving can still be fun – the rumble, the roar, the whine, the shine. I’m a passionate driver and at the same time, I want my family to be safe and protected on our roads. 

By the way, Jim’s list of cars he’s owned is over 105 last we checked.