BC's IRP Program Survives Another Court Challenge

image of AlcoSensorFST deviceCounsel for Lee Michael Wilson argued that the Approved Screening Device (ASD) result alone could not provide the officer with the reasonable grounds and that the officer was also required to point to other confirmatory evidence. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled today that this is not the case and dismissed the appeal of his Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP). The ruling supports the BC Motor Vehicle Act legislation that allows police to quickly and effectively remove impaired drivers from our highways.

READING - Eyes on the Road

RAC Foundation for MotoringThis publication, commissioned by the Royal Auto Club Foundation for Motoring, reviews the current scientific literature on the use of smart glasses and driver distraction. It also contains information obtained from an on-the-road experimental study comparing driver behaviour whilst navigating using smart glasses, smartphone-based satellite navigation and verbal instructions.

Failure to Keep Right

Q&A ImageQuestion: I got a ticket from an officer for "failure to keep right" after he showed up an hour after I had hydroplaned off of a ONE WAY to the right of the road. He gave me this ticket and he said he was being "nice" because he felt he could have gave me a speeding ticket (even thought he wasn't there) Do I have a case ?

Q&A - Does Our Hay Trailer Need a Licence and Insurance?

Q&A ImageWe own a small ranch in BC. Our hay fields stretch out along a small public road that runs through our ranch. We have just purchased a large truck which is now insured with farm plates to haul our hay bales off of the fields. We have been told that the hay trailer being pulled by this truck needs to be liscenced.

CASE LAW - Ferguson v Kennedy

BC Courts Coat of ArmsThis case concerns a collision that occurred on a gravel mountain road near Agassiz, BC. Solomon Kennedy had been passed by a pickup truck that raised a cloud of dust as it passed. Mr. Kennedy was travelling into the sun and was unable to see ahead due to the glare in the dust cloud. Connor Ferguson was travelling in the opposite direction as the pickup passed and saw that the Kennedy vehicle was partly on his side of the road. He sounded his horn and braked to a stop but was struck by the Kennedy vehicle.

Passed & Forgotten

car in rear view mirrorThe topic of choice in the DriveSmartBC e-mail box this past week has been about drivers who pass you in the left lane of a multiple lane highway and then immediately change lanes back in front of you. This action leaves less (sometimes much less) than optimum following distance between you and the driver who passed you.