HERGOTT LAW - Rear Ender Collision: Whose Fault?

Hergott Law logoPaul examines the case of Bingul v Youngson. It involves a rear end collision at a Vancouver intersection where Murat Bingul was found to have pulled in front of a heavy commercial vehicle and stopped for a traffic light. The driver of the commercial vehicle, Spencer Youngson, was unable to stop due to the suddenly reduced distance to the intersection and collided with the Bingul vehicle.

VIDEO - Snowplow Safety

VideoFrom the video description: If you are travelling BC highways during the winter months please be prepared and be aware - drive to conditions and take your time to get where you’re going. Our maintenance contractors are out there clearing our highways and provincial roads to make it safer for those driving on them and so we are asking anyone who is on the road with a snow plow to please steer clear and let them clear the road. It is never safe to pass a snow plow on the right or weave between plows when they are clearing the road.

Making Way for Emergency Vehicles

Fire TruckA reader was travelling in a major municipality recently and was stopped in a large collection of vehicles waiting for a red light at the intersection of two multiple lane highways. Emergency vehicles using lights and sirens approached from the rear and tried to get through the traffic and the intersection. There was significant difficulty and the reader was curious how far forward vehicles could move into the cross flow of traffic to assist in clearing a path.

How do I Deal with the Legal System After a Fatal Collision?

Scales of JusticeHow do I deal with the legal system after my son was killed by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel? This was the plea in my in-box from a mother who was trying to understand in the recent aftermath of a catastrophe. The two haunting concerns that she has right now is that this driver is still legally allowed to drive and the most significant consequence that he might face for causing death is a traffic ticket.

REPORT - The Hidden Traffic Safety Solution: Public Transportation

Transit BusWho would have thought that among the most cost effective ways to improve road safety was to invest in public transit? Public transit can be 10 times safer to use than driving your own vehicle, so a modest increase in transit ridership can have disproportionally larger road safety benefits. A report by the American Public Transportation Association titled Public Transit's Safety Benefits explains.

Q&A - Tire Size

Q&A ImageCan you advise the regulation(s) with respect to tire size on a passenger vehicle?

I am considering using existing winter tires on a newly acquired vehicle but the existing tires are slightly larger than the new vehicle tire size. The change would result in the larger tires being approx. 3.5% larger circumference than the new vehicle tires.

What is the law in this regard?

A Pedestrian's Near Miss Story

Pedestrian Caution SignI received a very detailed e-mail this week from a lady who described walking beside Willingdon Road southbound, facing in North Saanich during the early morning darkness. She paused, looked both ways for traffic and continued to the point where Willingdon begins and Canora Road diverges to the northeast.

She stopped and checked for traffic again from the small island that is present between lanes. Finding none, she began to cross the single lane. At this point, a vehicle approached from the south began to accelerate and the driver switched from low to high beam headlights.

Q&A - Fatal Collision

drowsy driverI’m not sure if your able to help or direct me, but I will try and see what you think. My 27 year old son was recently killed in a tragic motor vehicle accident. Another 25 year old young man was also killed in a different vehicle in the same accident and in fact another person in another vehicle was injured as well. I think broken bones.