Every now and then, you will see them on a residential street: temporary plastic or corrugated yard signs, pushed into the grass on wire stakes, asking drivers to slow down because children are playing. They are always put up by residents with the absolute best of intentions. Frustrated by speeding traffic outside their front doors, neighbours are hoping to protect the kids on their block.
No, most often stopping behind another car at a stop sign does not count as your legal stop.
According to Section 186 of the Motor Vehicle Act, you must bring your vehicle to a complete stop at a specific location—the stop line, crosswalk, or intersection edge—regardless of whether you already stopped behind another vehicle.
Careless disposal of cigarette butts from vehicles causes significant roadside fire risks, particularly during dry summer months in British Columbia. This dangerous littering behaviour directly threatens public safety, wildlife, and property along highways.
I received a detailed email recently from a local resident describing a terrifying experience on her morning walk. Before dawn, she was walking southbound beside Willingdon Road in North Saanich. Reaching the intersection where Canora Road diverges to the northeast, she did exactly what any cautious pedestrian would do: she paused, checked for traffic, and utilized a small concrete traffic island as a refuge to cross the single lane of traffic.
If you stop at a stop sign, does the cross-traffic always have the right-of-way? Most drivers in British Columbia assume the answer is yes, but the legal reality under the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) might surprise you.
Question: I'm flabbergasted that motorcycles with loud exhausts seem to be the "sacred cows" of our highways and byways. I recently spent about 18 hours working at a job site immediately adjacent to Harvey Avenue near Pandosy Street, during two sunny days of spring weather. The excessive noise from motorcycles and "jacked-up" diesel 4 x 4's trucks that constantly hammered their throttles was astonishing.
Many of us have been driving for decades. We’ve mastered parallel parking, survived travelling during winter storms, and navigated heavy highway traffic. But let me ask you a quick question: when was the last time you had to back up in a perfectly straight line for 100 feet?
Question: I grew up in the Netherlands where riding a bike everywhere is normal. I moved to Vancouver and have noticed that there is not much safety common sense with cyclists. My main concern is their "safety" LED lights! They shine them upwards, blinding pedestrians and drivers along the way.
When waiting at a red light, how much space should you leave between your vehicle and the car ahead? A common rule of thumb is to ensure you can see the rear tires of the leading vehicle touching the pavement. However, when a multi-vehicle chain-reaction accident occurs, failing to leave a wide gap does not automatically make you legally liable for the damage.
Why would a website that specializes in road safety and traffic law in British Columbia refer to the German Road Traffic Regulations? The German regulations start with what amounts to a social contract in contrast to our Motor Vehicle Act which only contains rules that people must obey. It sets a core philosophy, framing road use as a shared responsibility for everyone and then creates a framework to guide it.