I spent most of my policing career as a traffic cop. Yes, I have an outlook that many in the public don't share, but they haven't spent 25 years investigating collisions and seeing the aftermath either. Thank goodness for that, but maybe our politicians need a bit of experience similar to my own to temper their viewpoints.
Reconstruction is part of Australia's Wipe Off 5 anti-speeding campaign. It demonstrates how slowing down by 5 km/h can drastically reduce the consequences of a collision. In contrast, one might think about many driver's tendencies to say that 10 over isn't a problem because the police don't write speeding tickets for that little over the limit. The ticket might be the least of your problems if your speed is the cause of a collision.
Here is another example of obstructed lamps. The owner of this vehicle has coated the inside of the rear lenses on this vehicle with a translucent black spray coating that makes the lens appear dark or black.
This 17 page document from the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators examines safety in three key areas of the operation of 15 passenger vans: personal use, commercial use and the transportation of students. Much of the information that it contains should already be common practice for all drivers. Review is critically important because these vehicles are not as forgiving of negligence or mistakes as normal passenger vehicles may be.
Uros Budimac was parked at the side of West 11th Avenue in Vancouver. He signalled, shoulder checked and seeing nothing approaching pulled out to travel eastbound. Part way out of the parking space he shoulder checked again and saw the headlights of another vehicle approaching him. He stopped and was struck on the left front corner by a taxi driven by Parbhjot Bains.
I've been watching a number of conversations in the newspaper and social media lately, mostly with regard to B.C.'s slow down, move over law, but including changes to other traffic laws as well. The general theme has been that the government has been doing a poor job of telling the public what the new laws are and how we are supposed to follow them.
The following photo is an example of how a well intended vehicle customization can impact safety. The covers over the rear lens assemblies of this pickup have completely obscured the reflectors and significantly reduced the effectiveness of brake and tail lights, particularly in the daytime.
Jan Wiebe was driving along Downes Road in Abbotsford when he was suddenly confronted by cattle on the roadway. It was a dark and rainy night that did not allow Mr. Wiebe to see the cattle in time to avoid colliding with them.
Pedestrian Injury and Human Behaviour: Observing Road-Rule Violations at High-Incident Intersections is a study conducted by researchers from Simon Fraser University. They examined seven intersections in Vancouver known for the high incidence of pedestrian collisions.
First and foremost, I am a cyclist of 50+ years, and a driver for the past 38 years. With well over a million kilometres driven, I have had significant experience and try very hard to do what the motor vehicle act, common sense, and reduced risk of injury dictate. I regularly review "Bike Sense" and ICBC's publications. In my opinion, our roadways are becoming less safe for both motorist and cyclists.