Safety Equipment

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?

CarFit is an educational program operated in a partnership between the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and the Canadian Automobile Association. Originally designed to offer older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles "fit" them, drivers of any age may benefit.

We all know that the law requires that we wear our seat belts when driving. The Motor Vehicle Act says in part "..wear the complete seat belt assembly in a properly adjusted and securely fastened manner." Why should we worry, and how do we know what is proper?

Two women once appeared for trial on on of my traffic court dates. Both were disputing a ticket for failing to wear a seat belt under section 220(4) of the Motor Vehicle Act. They each testified that they were wearing their seat belt, but had placed the shoulder belt under their armpit.

When I learned to drive more than 4 decades ago, seatbelts were becoming standard equipment on all vehicles. Fast forward to today and we have seatbelts, multiple airbags and a host of automatic systems designed to either avoid a crash or minimize the damage to us if we are in one. Why then do some of us ignore the systems that are there for our protection?

Question: I have a truck that the previous owner installed 4 point harness seat belts in. The previous owner drove the truck on the road regularly. I just want to see if the 4 point harness is legal to use or if I should swap them out for the stock seat belts.

Question: I'm wondering what the offence is if I carry 3 passengers in a vehicle that's only equipped for two? If one passenger was seated on the floor / a box between the two installed seats? It's a 3 ton truck.

This video is a news story carried on CTV Vancouver Island. It explains that helmet use has been mandatory for a long time but may cyclists don't bother wearing them. Those that don't believe that it should be a personal choice. This is balanced by those who wear one and have avoided serious injury in a crash because of it.

Q: I have a hypothetical law question for you. Not saying in ANY way that this would be a good idea, only a law question.

Could a child of 5 years old (3’7", 50 lbs) ride in the sidecar of a motorcycle in a booster seat? This situation would be in the City of Surrey for reference.

You don't just keep your vehicle clean so that it looks good anymore. The sensors for your vehicle's safety systems need to be kept clean so that they will function as intended as well. This video from Consumer Reports describes six sensors that your newer vehicle may be equipped with and the maintenance that they need to continue to protect you properly.