Information related to road maintenance activities.
A B.C. Supreme Court appeal has upheld a Provincial Court ruling that split liability 50/50 between a road maintenance contractor and a driver after a single-vehicle collision on icy pavement near Smithers. The case, Billabong Road & Bridge Maintenance Inc. v. Brook, 2011 BCSC 297, turned on how quickly the contractor was required to sand a known icy stretch of highway once it was spotted — and whether it met that standard.
Many drivers view wet highway paint as a nuisance. Driving over newly painted lines damages your vehicle, defaces road infrastructure, and creates severe safety risks for modern vehicles. Here is what British Columbia drivers need to know about the legal penalties and technical dangers of ignoring "Wet Paint" signs.
Spreading rock salt on the highway during or after a weather event melts snow and ice already present to improve traction. Spraying brine on the highway before a weather event is preventative maintenance. The salt will already be there to prevent snow and ice from sticking to the pavement surface so it is easier to remove.
If you ever have the chance to talk to a school crossing guard, flag person, highway maintenance worker or anyone else whose job requires them to work in the cone zone on our highways, ask them how safe they feel when they are on the job.
Potholes are a fact of life and something that we all try to avoid on B.C. roads. Sometimes it is not possible and the result is damage to your vehicle. Who is responsible for the cost of that damage?
I commute on Highway 19 daily. The road has been maintained by filling the cracks with tar rather than repaving it. In the wet weather what I'm seeing is the ruts (worn into the driven part) in the right lane are holding up to 20 mm of standing water sometimes for hundreds of meters at a time.
Question: Our strata road is about a mile long and we have our own pickup truck rigged up for snow plowing. The vehicle is not licensed as the intent is for use solely on our posted private road. However, I have come to learn that the operator, as a favour to neighbours outside our strata, has taken to plowing some of the public road, an area rarely addressed on a timely basis by the road maintenance contractor.
I exchanged Tweets last week with a commercial truck driver who was less than impressed with the winter maintenance of BC's highways. There is no doubt in my mind that when your livelihood depends on being able to keep your truck moving road maintenance is a subject near and dear to your heart. My question is, was this gentleman speaking from emotion or was he being realistic?
It's probably safe to say that most municipalities have a bylaw regulating the removal of snow and ice from sidewalks. This case involves the City of Vancouver's Street and Traffic Bylaw, Harold Gutovich and the sidewalk in front of his home at 1121 W. 16th Avenue.
Question: We have too many blind corners in our communities says a correspondent. They have seen many near misses because of fences, trees and hedges blocking the view of drivers who are attempting to turn onto a street.