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.

VIDEO - Trailer Sway 101

video iconHave you ever had your trailer start to play wag the dog while you are driving along the highway? Chances are good that this happened due to the way that you loaded your trailer. Too much weight on the rear of a trailer is a recipe for trouble. This video shows why.

Distracted Driving Statistics - What to Believe?

Stop Distracted DrivingI received an interesting fact sheet from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) this week. It looks at distracted driving related fatal collisions in Canada from 2000 to 2015. In some Canadian provinces this type of fatality has surpassed the total caused by alcohol impaired driving. However, that's not the part of the document that made me pause.