We Are Not Serious About Road Safety

SoapboxI learned this week that Canadians are considered to rank 42nd out of 50 countries based on how good they are to drive in. This disappointed me until I sat back and thought about it a bit. Based on a bit of self examination and what I see happen around me when I drive I think that I have to say that we are not serious about road safety. Financial loss, injury and death are part of the cost of allowing everyone to move when and where they wish to.

CASE LAW - Cutting Corners

BC Courts Coat of ArmsThis case decides the liability for a collision at the intersection of 184th Street and 40th Avenue in Surrey. Was the collision caused by a driver cutting corners or a driver failing to stop at the stop sign? Madam Justice Forth makes the decision.

RATING - The World's Best Drivers

Driver of the YearCompare the Market is an Australian firm that makes comparisons for consumers to help them purchase products and save money. One area covers car insurance products and that division has identified the world's best drivers using a variety of factors, including blood alcohol allowance limits, the quality of roads, and the number of deaths caused by road traffic.

The Police Did Not Take My Driving Complaint Seriously

Ticket WriterThe police did not take my driving complaint seriously, what is my step? I know for a fact my wife and I had the offending vehicle, driver's description and B.C. license number correct. After reporting this incident I received a call from a constable telling me that the plate number I gave them was registered to a Hyundai and not the Pontiac I reported. They told me there was nothing else they could do.

CASE LAW - Radar Testing

BC Courts Coat of ArmsPolice check the radar equipment used to measure vehicle speeds to insure that it is functioning correctly before they write speeding tickets based on the readings. If a speeding ticket is disputed the officer must satisfy the court that the instrument had been tested and was working properly.

VIDEO - Vancouver's Worst Drivers: February 26, 2023

VideoVancouver's Worst Drivers is a YouTube channel that features submitted dash cam video from BC's Lower Mainland highlighting examples of terrible driving. The videos show collisions, people being dumb behind the wheel, people having no idea how rules of the road work, pedestrians doing stupid things, along with rants on things that drive the channel author nuts about other drivers.

CASE LAW - Close v Tigas

BC Courts Coat of ArmsThe case of Close v Tigas involves a collision on 18th Street at the lane west of Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver. Andria Close was driving her Volkswagen Golf westbound on 18th Street and Ryan Tigas was driving his Mitsubishi Outlander northbound in the lane approaching 18th. Mr. Tigas' view to the east was obstructed by a truck and camper parked to the right of the lane on the south side of 18th Street.

RESOURCE - Centerline Hardening Strategies

Parachute Canada LogoPart of Parachute Canada's Vision Zero Collection is an explanation of centerline hardening strategies that are intended to make intersections safer for pedestrians by reducing the turning radius for motor vehicles. The use of physical objects such as bollards, delineators or rubber curbs encourage drivers to make left turns at slower speeds.