Headlight Aim is Important

image of Headlight Aim patternAfter 20 years of full time traffic policing you accumulate many memories. I was reminded of one on the weekend when a small pickup passed me by and I could see the bright patch from the right low beam headlight shining on the pavement about 3 meters in front of the vehicle. The memory concerns a driver who thought headlight aim was unimportant.

The Brake Check

Check Brakes SignThe brake check sign says "Trucks, Stop Here, Check Brakes, Steep Hill Ahead." Ask almost anyone and they would likely tell you that this sign only applies to heavy commercial trucks equipped with air brakes. This is not the case however.

VIDEO - CRD Traffic Safety Report

VideoThis video is a report to the Capital Reginal District's Traffic Safety Commission by Helia Sehatpour who is a doctoral student in environmental psychology at the University of Victoria. It provides an overview of her work on the Commission data review project to document factors that contribute to serious injury and fatal collisions in the Capital Regional District and the Malahat Highway.

Delineators Prevent Pulling Over

image of cycle lane delineatorsQuestion: I am concerned about the delineators that have been added to both sides of 96th Avenue in Langley. I recently witnessed a situation where an emergency vehicle was stuck behind heavy traffic that was unable to pull over to allow the emergency vehicle to pass. What is the point in this? How are the drivers supposed to react under these circumstances?

Yielding on Left Turns

Left Turn CrashA driver from Rutland e-mailed with a concern regarding the intersection of Nickel Road and Highway 33. Highway 33 is five lanes wide with a two way left turn lane in the middle and Nickel Road is a two lane residential street. She regularly stops and waits to turn left off of Highway 33 onto Nickel Road and is horrified when through traffic on the highway stops to allow her to make the turn.

VIDEO - Why You Shouldn't Drive in Water

VideoBefore I watched this video warning against driving most cars through water on the road that is 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) deep, I probably would not have considered it to be worth my while to find another way around. With flood warnings currently being issued for various parts of BC, the knowledge shared here could help you avoid thousands of dollars in repair costs.

POLL - Low Confidence in Other Drivers

Question MarkSome days are better than others, but I met more than the usual number of bad drivers on my last one. Tailgaters, speeders and drivers who insisted on changing lanes into the space directly in front of me were well represented. Apparently I'm not alone in my experiences as a ResearchCo poll found that just under half of Canadians dread their local drivers.