NEWS - Pilot Car Load Movement Guidelines

Pink Road Work Ahead SignThe Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has announced the implementation of Pilot Car Load Movement Guidelines to regulate the safe movement of oversize vehicles on B.C.'s highways. Part of the Traffic Management Manual for Work on Highways, it also describes new temporary signs with a fluorescent pink background to warn of an emergency situation. In this case an example might be an overwidth load stopped so that it obstructed a lane of travel. It would be up to the pilot car operator to place the sign appropriately to warn approaching traffic.

Know Before You Go

Weather AlertThe beginning of this month was not a good one for many road users in the province with the weather related closure of 3 major east - west highway routes. Road maintenance contractors generally maintain our roads in good condition for safe driving, but when weather overwhelms their resources it should not be a surprise when road closures are the result. If you choose to travel during major weather events your mantra should be Know Before You Go or perhaps even simply Don't Go.

Q&A - Driving Without Due Care & Diabetes Issues

Q&A ImageQuestion: I'm trying to find the laws relating with driving without due care when someone has a unknown issue with diabetes that caused the incident and the fine. The officer involved also asked for a certificate of medical clearance because he had a suspicion that some sort of attack may have initiated the problem.

VIDEO - Other People Make Mistakes - Don't Speed

VideoThis video comes from New Zealand, another jurisdiction that tends to be more graphic with it's road safety advertising. Two drivers stop in freeze frame and discuss the collision that is about to happen. One apologizes for driving too fast and the other for not stopping at the stop sign. The driver that failed to stop highlights the fact that he has his son in the car. Both bow to the inevitable, re-enter their vehicles and the crash ensues.

CASE LAW - Gainder v The Minister of Justice

BC Courts Coat of ArmsMandeep Gainder, a novice driver, was discovered sitting in his idling car which emitted a strong odour of marihuana from the passenger compartment. Constable Troughton performed a Standardized Field Sobriety Test on Mr. Gainder who admitted smoking the drug and failed the test. A 24 hour prohibition for drug use was issued by Constable Earle. This suspension was not disputed.

More on Agents in Traffic Court

Violation Ticket Top I'm not a lawyer reads the e-mail, I'm a grandfather but I want to be able to help my grandson dispute a traffic ticket. At his first appearance on this ticket the presiding justice refused to let me participate telling me that my grandson was old enough to do it himself. There wasn't enough time to get to his hearing that day so I want to try again. How do I get the court's permission to do this?

Q&A - Taxi Passengers Not Wearing Seatbelts

Q&A ImageMy partner and I live in Victoria and finally able to afford it, decided to go out to dinner in North Saanich.  Not wanting to drink and drive, we went to the expense of booking a hotel in Sidney and took a taxi to the restaurant and back .  On the way back to the hotel after our dinner, the taxi driver went through a road block immediately after turning off the highway onto Beacon Avenue, directly