DriveSmartBC

Quick Answer: Yes. Regenerative braking can increase the risk of a collision on slippery roads because lifting off the accelerator may apply braking force to the drive wheels before the driver applies the brake pedal. If that braking demand exceeds the available traction, the drive wheels can lose grip. Modern vehicles use ABS, traction control and electronic stability control to reduce this risk, but drivers should still adjust their driving to road conditions.

Quick Answer: A flashing traffic signal means the normal traffic light cycle is not operating. In British Columbia, a flashing red light requires you to stop before proceeding when safe, a flashing yellow light means proceed with caution, and a flashing green light identifies a pedestrian-controlled intersection where drivers must be prepared to stop for pedestrians.

Question: I often see golf carts being driven on streets in residential communities, particularly around golf courses. Most don't appear to be licensed or insured. Are golf carts legal on public roads in British Columbia? What about in a gated community like Crown Isle in Courtenay?

You're driving along a city street when the vehicle ahead slows, signals to the right and stops beside an empty curbside parking space. The driver begins positioning the vehicle to back into the parking space. Do you wait, or is it acceptable to drive around?

One of the most common questions about highway driving is also one of the most counterintuitive: why should a driver who is obeying the speed limit move aside for someone who is speeding? When introducing the "Keep Right, Let Others Pass" legislation, the Province explained that the objective was to improve traffic flow and reduce risky passing manoeuvres on higher-speed highways—not to change the enforcement of speed limits.

British Columbia is officially setting a landmark Canadian precedent for highway safety and legal accountability. Bill M217, the Dashboard Cameras in Commercial Vehicles Act, has successfully passed its third reading in the B.C. Legislature with unanimous, all-party support.

Question: I was asked about not crossing a double solid yellow line when driving. Two friends were talking about it and thought there had been an update made to the laws that allowed a driver to cross a double line under certain circumstances. Was this true?

In British Columbia, the law is absolute: the driver and the carrier are fully responsible for knowing the exact maximum height of their vehicle and load before hitting the road. With the Province implementing the toughest infrastructure protection laws in Canada, operating without a valid permit, failing to check route clearings, or deviating from an approved path can result in immediate fleet groundings, massive carrier sanctions, and court-imposed fines up to $100,000.

"Walk against traffic, ride with it." This simple rule of thumb has been taught to school children for generations. Yet, it remains one of the most common traffic safety errors observed on British Columbia roads today. Whether out of a false sense of security or a simple misunderstanding of the law, cyclists who ride against the flow of traffic are placing themselves in immense danger.

You see them everywhere across British Columbia: bright digital signs in school zones, construction corridors, and municipal transition zones flashing your exact speed back at you. When these roadside speed reader displays—technically known as Speed Display Devices (SDDs) or Driver Feedback Signs—first began popping up on B.C. highways, traffic engineers openly questioned their long-term viability. Would the novelty wear off once local drivers grew accustomed to them?