Safety Equipment

When I was young there was no such thing as a booster seat. We thought nothing of throwing a mattress in the back of the station wagon, loading up my brother and sisters and heading off on holidays. We would sprawl on that mattress reading comic books or playing games.

The observation "five dollar head, five dollar helmet" was how one of my supervisors referred to motorcycle riders who wore beanie style helmets that would provide little or no protection in a crash.

What's behind me and why should I care? I'm driving down the highway and I'm certainly not going to back into something! There are at least two common hazards that occur regularly behind every driver and looking out for them is just good sense.

Conspicuity is an important word in any motorcycle rider's vocabulary. Being seen by other road users is a must to avoid being involved in a collision. One method of increasing a motorcycle's conspicuity is through the use of a modulating headlights.

I often travel in a cab with my mother, who is in a wheelchair, and the safety straps let go twice. What should I do about this?

Daytime running lights have been mandatory for vehicles in Canada since 1990. It appears many drivers and vehicle dealers are not aware of this requirement. Having driven thousands of kilometres over the last 40 years I know that DRL can help prevent accidents particularly on poor light and rainy conditions.

What can I write about seatbelts today? They were around when I started driving (1974). Canada's Road Safety Strategy 2025 is joined by B.C.'s Road Safety Strategy 2025 to continue to encourage seatbelt use today.

An American Automobile Association (AAA) study in 2018 found that over the course of 4,000 miles of real-world driving, vehicles equipped with active driving assistance systems (ADAS) experienced some type of issue every 8 miles, on average. Drivers are reminded that ADAS is not a replacement for paying full attention at all times when you drive.

During 2010, vehicle occupants in British Columbia were surveyed by Transport Canada and found to have a 97%+ seatbelt wearing rate. This was determined by a 2 hour observation period during daylight hours between September 15 and 21 at 286 sites across the country.

This video from the Danish Road Safety Council teaches that wearing a bicycle helmet has always been a good idea. From Ads of the World:

The Danes love their bikes, and the Danish capital of Copenhagen is the world’s most cycle-friendly city. One problem, helmets have never become as popular as cycling itself. To combat this, the Danish Road Safety Council launches a campaign which pokes gentle fun at those who are too vain to wear a helmet, by recruiting a group that wore theirs with pride - the Vikings.