It's time to deal with all the questions in the DriveSmartBC inbox that have not prompted an article of their own. Here are 10 of them, one of which initially stumped me too. I guess that goes to show that no matter how long you have been a licensed driver, there is still something that you can learn!
Complex automation known as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can now control the vehicle’s speed, headway, and lane position, and capabilities continue to expand. Drivers need to understand these new vehicle features in order to use them effectively and appropriately.
Jagger Ross Schurman was stopped by police in Vancouver for a number of violations while he was driving his mother's car. "He was under the impression that he would be principally fined but that the tickets would not go on his driving record. He also indicated that he was led into an erroneous understanding about the effect of pleading guilty with respect to the accumulation of points against his driver's licence by the attending officer's roadside statements."
The BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit (BCIRPU) has updated it's Injury Data Online Tool to include data from 2021. This is the site's description of the tool:
Whenever I make a public presentation and then open the floor to questions people always highlight the traffic problems in their neighbourhoods and ask why the police never seem to be doing anything about them. Road design in the form of traffic calming might be a better alternative to the police.
I've been asked to discuss the practice of some drivers who are "slowing down, way back from a stop light, potentially blocking access for both the left and the right turn lane, especially where there is an advance green light for a left turn." The person who requested the examination is irked by these drivers as it costs them precious seconds of driving time.
This case looks at host liability for a crash on Saltspring Island following a party at the home of Stephen and Lidia Pearson. Ryan Plambeck drove after leaving the party, left the roadway and crashed into the woods. He was killed and Calder McCormick, a passenger in the vehicle was seriously injured.
The Speed Management for Safety site was created by the Institute of Transportation Engineers as a resource for all transportation professionals seeking to safely manage speeds.
This video from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia explains that airbags can be dangerous to young children seated in the front seat or leaning against the vehicle's door. It's very important to learn about air bag safety to help protect your child.
Smart phones and dash cams may produce video evidence to defend yourself with in traffic court. However, it's not a good plan to show up with your smartphone in hand and try to show that video to both the prosecution and the judicial justice while you explain your point. In fact, some judicial justices will refuse to allow you to enter evidence in this manner.