Q&A - Flat Towing a Vehicle

Q&A ImageI've looked at the regs for brakes on trailers, but I'm not sure how it would apply to flat towing a vehicle. My '92 Jeep weighs in around 3,000 lbs (spec curb weight is โ€Ž2,855โ€“3,241 lb (1,295โ€“1,470 kg)). We'd be pulling it with a 2015 Yukon 4WD (rated towing weight 8200 lb/ 3719 kg, curb weight 5707 lb / 2588 kg).

The regs say:

Q&A - Hockey Stick Pipes

Q&A ImageI met a new Canadian yesterday, in his large car, and the visor was SO low that there is only (what looked to be, I didn't go over and measure) like 2 feet from the hood to the bottom of the visor. I understand the benefits of a drop visor, but this is taking an aftermarket improvement, to the absolute extreme.

It's Winter Tire Time Again

Winter Tire Regulatory SignI remember when I was a teenager working in my father's service station. On the day of the first snowfall our customers would be lined up in the driveway to have their winter tires installed when we arrived to start the day. We did nothing but install winter tire after winter tire and our air compressor didn't get any rest until after we had shut the bay doors and left for home.

CASE LAW - R v Duplisse

BC Courts Coat of ArmsJeremy Duplissie was riding his motorcycle in the 10,300 block of 272 Street in Maple Ridge. This road has a posted speed limit of 50 km/h. The speed chosen by Mr. Duplissie was measured at just over 100 km/h by Corporal Martin. A ticket for excessive speeding was issued and subsequently disputed.

RESEARCH - Raising Rural Speeds Also Raised Collision Numbers

120 kmh speed signSome sections of rural highways in British Columbia saw an increase in the posted speed limit in 2014 following a provincial government review which included a poll of the population. Within two years some of these increases were rolled back due to rising collision rates. Today a research report released by academics from the University of British Columbia evaluates the effect that the initial speed increases have had since they were implemented.

Thanksgiving

thankfulIn general, traffic enforcement is a solitary effort for police outside of the province's municipalities. I've often wondered just how close I have come to something bad happening in a traffic stop while I was a long way away from the nearest backup. Since today is Thanksgiving, I want to tell a story where something bad did almost happen and I'm very thankful for the "almost."

OPINION - Does Speeding Actually Cause Crashes?

Speed Demon Many drivers believe speeding alone does not actually cause crashes. While not totally inaccurate, this over-simplified phrase does not paint the whole picture. The fact is, very few crashes are caused by one factor alone, and this includes speeding, but downplaying the impact of speeding can prove to be deadly.

Resistance to Roundabouts

Traffic CircleChange is good, that is unless the town wants to upgrade a busy T intersection with a roundabout rather than installing traffic lights. This is the situation in Qualicum Beach where the town has announced that it intends to rebuild the intersection of highway 19A (Island Highway West) and highway 4 (Memorial Avenue) using a roundabout. This is something that the Qualicum Beach Residents Association (QBRA) opposes.