Safety Equipment

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.

The US National Safety Council in partnership with Toyota and the University of Iowa has created the "My Car Does What?" website in response to the finding that many drivers do not know how to use the safety features that are found in the modern vehicle. The site is meant to be a simple answer to: how do safety features work? When should they be used? Do I have them in my car? and How can I find answers to these questions?

The third week in September marked the official start of fall and noticeably shorter days. That means many of us will driving in the dark more often. Here are some bright ideas for driving at night.

On August 28, 2014 a tour bus crash occurred on the Coquihalla Highway south of Merritt. 56 people were injured, 15 of them seriously. A civil action was taken against a number of parties involved in the tour that included Prevost, the manufacturer of the bus. Jie Ding and the other plaintiffs involved claim that their injuries were made worse by the lack of seatbelts on the bus.

Anti-lock brakes (ABS) have gone from being a novelty to being present on most vehicles today. Have you read and understood the section of your vehicle owner's manual on this vital safety system? Contrary to popular belief, ABS does not always mean shorter stopping distances.

What do you have stored in your vehicle to protect yourself in the event of a breakdown or collision? Most of us will probably reply that they don't have anything prepared for this eventuality. In fact, with the reliability of vehicles today and perhaps not having been involved in a significant collision before, we may be lulled into thinking that we don't really need it.

Complex automation known as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can now control the vehicle’s speed, headway, and lane position, and capabilities continue to expand. Drivers need to understand these new vehicle features in order to use them effectively and appropriately.

This video from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia explains that airbags can be dangerous to young children seated in the front seat or leaning against the vehicle's door. It's very important to learn about air bag safety to help protect your child.

A new vehicle sold today is equipped with a backup camera to help insure that the driver has as complete a view to the rear as possible to insure safety while backing up. An IIHS study compared the crash rates of cars with and cars without backup cameras. Overall, cars with cameras were 17% less likely to be involved in a police-reported backup crash. Why was the reduction so small?