Excessive Speed

Radar TrapI would have thought that being faced with a fine of either $368 or $483 and 3 penalty points would make any driver hesitate to exceed the speed limit by more than 40 or more than 60 km/h. Even so, more than 10,000 drivers were fined in this manner last year in BC. Worse still, I know that this is only the start of the problem as these were just the drivers that were caught and issued the appropriate fine by police.

READING - Education in Road Safety

RAC Foundation LogoThe Royal Auto Club Foundation asks "Are we getting it right?" Is education in road safety a good thing? In the paper Professor McKenna argues that educational interventions are often designed in the absence of theory or any formal body of evidence. In some circumstances they may inadvertently increase exposure to risk.

Q&A - Failing to Stop for Pedestrians Ticket

Q&A ImageI was given a ticket for not stopping for pedestrians at a crosswalk. It was a red light in front of me, with cars lined up behind a crosswalk about 10meters from the light on the right lane. I was on the left lane, slowing down before the red with only one car in front of me stopped at the light.

As I was passing the crosswalk, I slowed to make sure there were no pedestrians, and decided to pass.

Q&A - Improperly Equipped Motor Vehicle

Would you please explain about improperly equipped motor vehicles under section 219 (1) of the Motor Vehicle Act? My driver window gear stopped working on the Labour Day weekend (4 days ago) and I have not had time to get back to the dealer to have it repaired. The officer informed me that this is a safety issue if the vehicle ended up in the river I would be trapped.

Driving with a BAC Between 50 and 80 mg%

Alcosensor FSTIn 1977 BC established the limit of 50 mg% as the provincial limit on Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) for drivers. When tested with an approved screening device drivers with a BAC over this limit received a 24 hour roadside prohibition. Relatively recently, this prohibition also included a 24 hour vehicle impoundment to go along with the prohibition.

MOTORCYCLES - Lane Position

Vancouver Island Motorcycle SchoolI hear a lot of people talk about lane position as if there are rules set in stone and there is only one dominant lane position. The standard agreement is that the left third of the lane is Position 1, the center of the lane is Position 2, and the right third of the lane is Position 3.

Vehicle Impoundment as a Penalty

Tow TruckThe use of vehicle impoundment as part of an array of penalties to discourage improper driving behaviour will expand significantly when amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act become law on September 20, 2010. In every case the cost of the impoundment will be the responsibility of the owner of the vehicle. If the owner was not the driver at the time, they may recover costs from the driver as a debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.