NEWS - Woman Driver Killed by Laptop

Flying LaptopWho would have thought that a laptop could turn out to be a lethal weapon? Likely not Heather Story who was involved in what would otherwise have been a survivable crash in Surrey. According to the coroner, her death was likely caused by the laptop she had on the back seat striking the back of her head during the collision.

VIDEO - Bicycle Safety Tips for Adults

VideoThis is a video from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the U.S., but almost all of it applies equally well to B.C. cyclists. Topics covered include choosing and making sure your bike is in good condition, safety equipment, rules of the road and safety tips to avoid collisions. Running time is 7 minutes 25 seconds.

Q&A - This Citizen is Frustrated

Q&A ImageSpeak to a large majority of homeowners and they will all tell you the same things that bother them. The first big problem is noisy vehicles, especially as the warmer weather arrives. The city has noise bylaw and other laws under the Highway Traffic Act that were written as to make life in a community more enjoyable and maintain quality of life. Not much is being done to eliminate all of the excess annoying noise from vehicles, new or old.

CASE LAW - Gencoglu v. Borg

BC Courts Coat of ArmsIn this civil case the driver sued a cyclist for damages caused when the cyclist collided with his parked vehicle. The driver's reasoning was that his door had been open for some time and that the cyclist should have seen and avoided colliding with it. The judge did not agree.

CASE LAW - R v Thompsett

BC Courts Coat of ArmsThis case discusses care and control of a motor vehicle while impaired. The woman, seat belted in the driver's position, was the only occupant of an idling vehicle parked at the curb. Investigation by ambulance paramedics and police revealed that the woman did not have a medical problem and was impaired by alcohol.

CASE LAW - R v Wlodarczak

BC Courts Coat of ArmsDo the police ever charge a fellow officer with a traffic offence? I suspect that members of the public more often than not would respond "no" to that assertion and would be skeptical of protests to the contrary. In R v Wlodarczak, we see that this happens, even when the accused is driving an unmarked police vehicle at the time of the offence.

VIDEO - Don't Hurt the One You Love

VideoThis is a road safety campaign video from the UK, just in time for Valentine's day, aimed at teen drivers. One of the slogans used is 'More girls die as passengers than as drivers.' This is a significant idea for the female half of the equation to consider. They do need to play an active role in keeping the male focused on safe driving when necessary, obviously for their own good.