Show Me the Radar / Laser Reading

Radar"I want to see the radar / laser reading!" This was always a signal to me that the traffic stop was going to be a difficult one. The demand for a print out of the radar reading was a similar request. Depending on the tone of voice, it was often simpler to refuse outright and explain later on in traffic court, letting the justice be the referee.

VIDEO - Vancouver's Worst Drivers: May 3, 2022

VideoVancouver's Worst Drivers is a YouTube channel that features submitted dash cam video from BC's Lower Mainland highlighting examples of terrible driving. The videos show collisions, people being dumb behind the wheel, people having no idea how rules of the road work, pedestrians doing stupid things, along with rants on things that drive the channel author nuts about other drivers.

NEWS - May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

MotorcycleSorry Mate, I Didn't See You! This is probably the biggest concern among motorcycle riders everywhere and with good reason. Last year in B.C., 1,600 motorcyclists were injured in 2,600 crashes. In addition, on average, 34 riders die in crashes each year on our roads. This is what a snapshot looks like today.

Police Driving Behaviour

Good Cop, Bad CopI want you to focus your writing on the driving behaviour of many police officers. I realize that not all of them only follow the rules when it is convenient, but there is a significant number of them. Why don't they follow the traffic rules like the rest of us?

RESOURCE - On Line Drivers Test

Crash TestIf you went to the nearest ICBC Driver Service Center to renew your BC driver's licence and were directed to take a computer based knowledge test to qualify, would you pass? We all tend to think of ourselves as better than average drivers, but the truth is, by definition, half of us are not. Chances are good that we have done nothing to improve our driving skills and knowledge since the day we first received our full privilege driver's licence.

RESEARCH - Enforcement of Cycle Passing Distances

1.5m cycle passing gapCycling advocates in BC would like to see our government enact a safe passing distance law so that drivers are aware of how much space they must leave between their vehicle and the cycle as they drive by. Two US cities, Grand Rapids, Michigan and Knowville, Kentucky have such laws and were chosen by NHTSA for a study of how high visibility enforcement of the law influenced passing distances.

Transfer of Licence Plates

BC Licence PlateMoving licence plates from one vehicle to another is not just a simple matter of being able to use a screwdriver. Many people run into trouble when they try to move their plates to a substitute vehicle and don't do it properly. Of course, this could look like small change in retrospect if that person were to cause a collision before being discovered by police.

VIDEO - Re-allocating Space for Better Cities

International Transport Forum logoIn this 30-minute online presentation and question and answer session, author Philippe Crist presents the new ITF report “Streets That Fit: Re-allocating Space for Better Cities”. Street space in cities is a rare resource. Much of it is currently allocated to highly space-consuming transport modes without taking into account that demands for that space vary over time.

Street Racing

Street RacingAn incident that took place in Surrey on March 26 was headlined as street racing, which brings to mind the following questions:  How is "street racing" defined? How do the courts recognize street racing as opposed to, say, speeding? And why are the rules currently on the books for things like speeding, reckless driving and endangerment alone not harsh enough to apply to street racers?