Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/53603
upfront keep an eye on your eyes still fuellin' up ALBERTANS BREATHE a collective sigh of relief when gas prices drop, but do we contemplate driving less when prices go up? Not according to AMA's 2011 Fuel Price Impact Survey, which found that 67 per cent of Albertans hadn't changed their driving habits in the past year, even though fuel costs went up. However, 30 per cent said they'd switched to a more fuel-effi cient vehicle in the past year. What price will it take for Albertans to change their driving behaviour? Just over half of the 800 survey participants said they would drive less if the cost soared to $1.50 per litre. –C.M. GRASPING pump prices EVER WONDERED WHY you can fi ll up in Lethbridge for about a buck a litre, but if you drive over to Regina the same day, you pay 10 per cent more? Delivery costs and market size affect what Canadians pay at the pump, as do taxes. According to Natural Resources Canada, the average tax component — provincial gas and sales tax, and, in some cities, transit tax — of a $1 litre of fuel is $0.32. See where you stack up compared to the rest of the country: City Vancouver Prince George Edmonton Calgary Red Deer Lethbridge Regina Winnipeg Hamilton Toronto Ottawa-Gatineau Montreal Halifax Yellowknife Province British Columbia British Columbia Alberta Alberta Alberta Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Ontario Ontario Ontario-Quebec Quebec Nova Scotia Northwest Territories Population (thousands) 2391.3 77.6 1176.3 1242.6 91.8 87.8 215.1 753.6 740.2 5741.4 1239.1 3859.3 403.2 20.8 Fuel Price (cents per litre) 128.0 120.9 102.5 104.6 102.2 99.9 116.9 110.4 118.9 120.3 119.8 128.2 125.5 140.2 Source: Natural Resources Canada; Statistics Canada; City of Lethbridge; City of Red Deer, City of Prince George, City of Yellowknife —C.M. 12 WESTWORLD >> FEBRUARY 2012 Masterfile Taxes (cents) 44.0 34.7 23.8 24.0 23.9 23.8 30.6 26.8 38.3 38.6 38.4 45.9 41.9 27.3 SURE, YOU HAD 20/20 VISION when you passed your driver's licence exam back in high school, but now that you're older, your eye- sight likely isn't what it used to be. Maybe you fi nd yourself squinting when driving at night – or objects are starting to look blurry. About 90 per cent of the decisions you make while driving rely on information gath- ered through your eyes, according to the Alberta College of Optometrists, as do reaction time and cognitive ability. Yet vision tends to deteriorate with age. For example, a teenager can focus from near to far in less than two seconds, while it can take an older adult twice that time. Adults between the ages of 20 and 64 should have their eyes examined at least every two years. Those aged 65 to 69 years should visit their optometrist every one to two years, and those 70 and older should have their eyes tested annually. Alberta Health Care covers the cost of annual eye exams for those 65 and older. –T.H.