I am blessed with readers who send me e-mail to suggest topics, share a story or even a bit of humour. It's the humour that triggered this column, specifically a photo of people from a third world country packed into a vehicle in a manner that would be totally unacceptable today in British Columbia.
This is an examination of the application of Driving Without Due Care and Attention under section 144(1)(a) of the Motor Vehicle Act. In this instance the driver of a van pulled across the path of an oncoming motorcycle because the driver, Goldade, felt that he had sufficient time to clear the motorcycle's lane before it arrived. The misjudgment precipitated a collision in which the driver of the motorcycle died.
The case of R v Drummond examines a Charter of Rights argument that a delay of 17 months from the offence date to the trial date for a traffic violation ticket is unreasonable. Grant Drummond was served with a traffic ticket for excessive speed, tinted windows and failing to wear a seatbelt on August 1, 2007. He filed a dispute of all counts within the 30 day time period.
This traffic safety advertisement from Finland is full of subtle humour and drives home the message "Even Dummies Wear Seatbelts." I especially liked the airbag inside the nut that the squirrel smashes open. Well worth the few seconds that it takes to view!
The British Highways Agency has produced a 14 minute video titled "Great Roads, Great Rides 2." It is designed to put you on the bike, inside the helmet and close to the road, in order to teach you to identify hazards and 'read the road'. The rider in the video is Glenn Julian, a professional motorcyclist.
The Seat Belt and Child Restraint Guide for Policymakers manual was produced as a practical manual for policymakers by the FIA Foundation, the Global Road Safety Partnership, the World Bank and the World Health Organization providing advice to public authorities on introducing laws and improving seat belt compliance. It also contains information of interest on how these devices work in addition to why we should be using them.
A car owner is not successful in a claim against ICBC for a total loss of their vehicle. The court finds that the owner made misrepresentation to the corporation about who actually owned and was the principal operator of the vehicle and was then involved in the theft and burning of it.
Lloyd's TSB Insurance commissioned a study that suggests driving with a cold or the flu can impair a driver by up to 11%, comparable to having consumed a double of hard liquor. A single sneeze lasts about 2 seconds, during which the driver's eyes are closed. At a speed of 80 km/h this will mean a travel distance of almost 45 meters.
This 30 second video puts tongue in cheek and parodies a driving school lesson where a young woman learns to do everything wrong while driving and dealing with her cell phone. Apparently some of today's drivers think that this is the right way to drive....
This is a dangerous time of year for my morning commute. The sun is just above the horizon and in four locations I am looking directly into it while I drive. Even with my visor down and one hand up to block the reflection from the hood, it is still very difficult to see ahead of me.