Q&A

Question: What are the laws in BC about wearing hearing protection while operating a non-commercial vehicle? I drive a diesel panel van, and the noise level in the cab is VERY high at highway speeds - to the point that conversation is difficult and my ears ring after extended drives.

Question: What is the purpose of completely coming to a stop at a 3 or 4 way stop when there are no vehicles or pedestrians near the intersection? A rolling stop should be sufficient, as MOST drivers including professional drivers never completely stop at stop signs. There are at least 3 good reasons for NOT coming to a complete stop. I cannot think of one good reason for coming to a COMPLETE stop.

Question: I have seen several cases of helpful citizens pulling cars out of the ditch with ropes and chains. Often times this obstructs other vehicle traffic, sometimes in both directions. Last night in the dark several vehicles had close calls with 'helpers' out on the road in the dark.

Question: I would like to know how long the police have to write me a traffic ticket after an accident. I was involved in a traffic accident 2 nights ago in Vancouver. I hit another vehicle at an intersection and called the police. They took down all the information, asked me to report to ICBC but did not give me a ticket and did not say that they would be giving me one.

Question: A member of our car club who is a new driver has been ticketed with failing to stop at a red light and having too many passengers. This violates the terms of his novice driver's licence. He asked our group for help to dispute the ticket and I would like some help with counselling him on what to do.

Question: My son was ticketed with driving too fast for road conditions. The air and roads were dry so there were no road conditions. He was in an unfamiliar area at night and was in a roundabout which had a steep ditch on one side. As he was unfamiliar with the roundabout, he simply turned into the curb instead of following the curve of the road, and ended up over the curb and slightly down the embankment.

Question: On my way home from dropping my daughter at school I make a left turn onto my street at an intersection and then need to turn left immediately again as my house is the 1st driveway. I do so over a single yellow line and am often getting honks etc.

I was issued a ticket two weeks after my accident for "failure to keep right." It was delivered to my home by two officers from the detachment in the city I live in. The officer that attended the accident scene was from a detachment equal distance away from the accident.

I found your article that explains the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) requires that the JP impose the fine legislated for the speed being travelled. If they find between 20 and 40 over, for instance, they must impose the $196 fine and cannot reduce it. I am not able to find where the MVA says that speeding fines can't be reduced.

Question: The police officer used a radar gun to check my speed. According to him, there are no records for radar calibration on it. This is a real, live issue for my trial. If the radar gun does not have service records, then how do we know that it is functioning correctly?