DriveSmartBC

Some intersections are easy to understand. You approach, stop or yield as required, look for conflicting traffic and proceed when it is safe to do so. Others require a little more study.

What should you do when a deer suddenly appears in front of your vehicle? Most drivers would instinctively try to avoid it. But what happens if your attempt to avoid the deer causes a crash?

When you are driving behind a cyclist or another vulnerable road user, giving them enough space is about more than courtesy. British Columbia law now sets minimum distances that drivers must maintain when following and passing vulnerable road users.

Freeway entrance ramps are designed to give drivers an opportunity to build speed, find a suitable gap and merge smoothly with traffic already travelling on the freeway. An entrance to southbound Highway 99 in Richmond adds an unusual complication: a designated bus lane crosses the path of entering traffic just before the driver reaches the first general-purpose freeway lane.

New drivers in British Columbia need to understand that the rules for using electronic devices while driving are stricter than they are for fully licensed drivers. In particular, Class 7L and Class 7 drivers cannot use the exceptions that permit fully licensed drivers to use certain electronic devices hands-free or under specified conditions.

A rear-end collision usually puts the focus on the driver who struck the vehicle ahead, but that does not necessarily mean the following driver is entirely responsible. A 2009 decision of the British Columbia Supreme Court provides a good example of why both drivers' actions may have to be considered.

Beefs & Bouquets is a regular feature of the Nanaimo News Bulletin, giving readers an opportunity to sound off about local issues. A recent Beef took aim at heavily loaded trucks:

“To extra heavy trucks lugging their loads through Nanaimo. Getting behind them at intersections is frustrating and dangerous because they don't go with the traffic flow.”

According to the Association of School Transportation Services of British Columbia, travel by school bus is statistically the safest method of ground transportation for children. We all expect and demand nothing less when our children and grandchildren are riding those buses to and from school and school-related events.

One of the most common rules drivers learn is that a vehicle turning left must yield to oncoming traffic. That is a useful rule of thumb, but it is not the complete rule in British Columbia.