Motorcycles

There is a lot of disagreement about the proper use of the rear brake. People that don't understand braking at all, particularly if they have experience in cars, often gravitate toward the rear brake and avoid the front brake.

This case decides the liability for a collision where a motorcycle overtaking two vehicles is struck when the second vehicle pulled out to pass the first. All three had been following together at a speed under the limit. At the first available opportunity the motorcycle passed, not seeing a signal from the vehicle in front.

This case involves a serious collision at the intersection of the Trans Canada Highway and Bench Road in North Cowichan. A southbound car turning left at the intersection and a northbound motorcycle proceeding at high speed facing a yellow traffic light meet in the middle.

I do a lot of night riding, and with the days being as short as they are, I'm doing a bit more every week. At this time of year when it's dark on the island there is also a good chance it's going to be raining too, and if not, it's going to be cold enough that traction will be significantly reduced.

I hear a lot of people talk about motorcycle 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 centre of the lane is Position 2, and the right third of the lane is Position 3.

The 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.

I applaud the green attitude of those people who ride a limited speed motorcycle (LSM) for their trips on BC highways. Surely their carbon footprint is a lot lighter than my own. That and their wallet will be heavier as these motorcycles are economical to buy, license and operate.

This is something I've been telling people about fault for a long time, but have been hesitant to put it in type for people who don't know me to read, and perhaps take the wrong way, even though it's something I feel very strongly about.

This television commercial from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) of Victoria, Australia complements their existing campaign that encourages riders to wear protective clothing at all times. It is meant to make riders aware of their extreme vulnerability on the road.

When we ride there are quite a few things that we have to do that are counter intuitive. Anyone that has ridden a two wheeled vehicle more than a couple feet quickly learned to counter steer, even if they never realized they were doing it.