Brian Crossman is a partner in Estevan-based Independent Well Servicing. The opinions expressed in this column are the opinions of the author and not necessarily the opinions of Independent Well Servicing.
“I am so glad cell phone cameras didn’t exist back in the day, I’d still be in jail.”
This has been said more times than any of us can count. But in light of what we have seen in the news, it bears repeating again (and again, and again). In the oilpatch, as with many other professions, driving to and from work is “THE MOST DANDEROUS PART OF THE DAY.” Its not even close, really.
It has been a strange year on the highways in Saskatchewan. While there is always lots of accidents on our highways, these days, it just seems … different now. The underpasses of Saskatoon have taken a beating lately, which turned into a bit of a comedic albeit expensive example of the problems we all face on the roads. We all see the videos on the internet on Just Bins and other sites, along with the mocking and angry commentary which also follows.
There is a lot more traffic on the roads these days. Close by the cities are the most noticeable, and understandable. This has translated to everywhere in my opinion. While this is not necessarily a bad thing as it demonstrates a stronger economy, it definitely creates more hazards on the roads.
Less patience is more than a little noticeable, and sometimes it gets right out of hand. Am I personally guilty of this? Hell. Yes. But I have learned that it does not help and for the most part, I am fairly patient, until some A-HOLE CUTS ME OFF, NEARLY HITS MY TRUCK, TALKS ON THEIR CELL PHONE, PASSES ME TOO FAST, IS DRIVING TOO SLOW, SWERVES ANYWHERE NEAR ME OR JUST PISSES ME OFF FOR NO REASON! Okay, maybe I am a little impatient. (Insert road rage here) I would like to think people have a legitimate reason for the lack of patience, but honestly, what reason is there to drive this way?
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Pursuant to the previous paragraph, I think a lot of the problem is more rushing. As we seem busier (not sure why) so we have less time available in our lives to get from A to B. But why do we have less time? We thought better more reliable cars would fix that. Apparently not. Maybe the looming shadow of AI will help? (Probably not.) Are we all spending too much time scrolling on the internet? (Safe bet there.) I know many young families that between work, family activities and multiple kids playing sports and other activities keeps them constantly on the road.
New drivers, both foreign and domestic have added to this. I witnessed a young lady flying down the street on an electric scooter, easily doing thirty kilometres per hour, with a cell phone in her hand. (Probably taking a video in hopes of being an “influencer”) If even a small number of these young people behave this way behind the wheel of a car, we have a problem, Houston. With all the immigration taking place the last few years, this has presented problems associated with language barriers, a different understanding of road rules and poor driving habits.
These young people (and not-so-young) have grown up watching the “Fast and Furious” franchise and playing “Grand Theft Auto” on their computers. Does this cause more accidents? My guess is yes. Having said that, my generation watched “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Starsky and Hutch” and my personal favourite, “The Fall Guy.” Did I ramp my vehicle as a teenager? No, I couldn’t afford it. Did I drive like an ass? Absolutely. (I am so glad cell phone cameras didn’t exist back in the day, I’d still be in jail.)
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- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
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- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
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We would be remiss if we didn’t discuss impaired driving. It used to be an alcohol thing, but with the legalization of marijuana, the parameters of impairment have changed. It took a bit of time, but it is much easier to test, charge and convict people who are willing to put everyone on the road at risk. Reasonable people just can’t understand what makes people think this is a sound plan. Distracted driving also falls in this category in my opinion. I am ok with Bluetooth devices, but texting and holding phone to your ear while driving is unacceptable and can be as bad as driving under the influence. (We still see this, surprisingly enough.)
Whenever we are talking with family and friends, and they are driving to, from or anywhere for that matter, most of us say, “Safe travels,” or “Drive safely.” That seems to have taken a turn now as well. Once a off-handed way of saying, “See ya,” has now become a serious warning to our loved ones. Most of us have a much more serious concern when our family, friends and loved ones are on the road. At the time of writing this there have been seventy-five fatalities on Saskatchewan roads and another tractor trailer load hitting the Borden railway bridge. The same day a wind turbine blade being transported took out some signs. And we wonder why SGI motor vehicle rates are rising.
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- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
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- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
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I’m not saying I have all the answers (or any for that matter), but how about some lessons from the oilpatch? For starters, our driving history was absolutely terrible. When I started in the patch forty-plus years ago, vehicle accidents were prevalent. I personally lost some friends, acquaintances and co-workers in MVAs over the years. Eventually the industry started to figure it out and several different driver safety courses were implemented. These courses, while not perfect, have made a huge difference. The guys are slowing down, paying more attention and being courteous on the road. Company logos on the trucks and GPS tracking systems haven’t hurt the cause as well. A few years back, several oil producers teamed up and put billboards up in various spots in Southeast Sask and encouraged driver safety courses. Currently most oil company safety reps bring up safe driving at nearly every safety talk. There has been a noticeable improvement, which is good on the industry in general. We are not perfect, but we are trying and improving.
The bottom line is, we are losing family and friends on the highways, in larger than acceptable numbers. Every single one of us knows or has a connection with a victim of an accident that caused serious injury or the unthinkable, a fatality. We can take all the precautions, training and increase law enforcement, but it won’t change unless we, as individuals take accountability for our actions, or lack thereof. Be patient, take your time, and don’t worry about being late. Be thoughtful of other people using the roads, they are just trying to get somewhere too.
Brian Crossman is a partner at Independent Well Servicing in Estevan. As he noted earlier, there has already been 75 fatalities on Saskatchewan roads, and its only September. For the love of God, please slow down and be more aware. And to quote an old television show, “All right, that’s it, let’s roll and hey, be careful out there.” (“Hill Street Blues” for all you youngsters)
- 0135 SASPO-2988_Self serve_2026_YouTube0135 SASPO-2988_Self serve_2026_YouTube
- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
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