Unsafe Driving Practices

Any chance you might do another article on handheld device usage in BC? The first rider death of 2012 in Kelowna was caused by driver inattention to cell phone usage. I've attached a photo that was just taken this Saturday. We actually took several - I was driving, my wife was operating the camera. This particular one clearly shows what has the driver's attention.

Please let me know if it is legal to drive with a walking cast on? Right or left foot? What if you are in an accident and are the driver wearing a walking cast? Can this alter your braking time? Could your foot slip?

Occasionally I look at a driver around me in traffic and ask myself "what can they be thinking?" Today I wondered if the driver behind me was thinking at all! Road conditions could be described as typical BC winter driving, but this guy was so close that I couldn't see snow between the rear of my vehicle and the front of his.

Here are the top excuses that police heard from BC drivers who were caught using a hand-held device while driving in our province last month courtesy of ICBC:

Some of the most dangerous drivers on the road recently are those that are trying to be polite by waving a second driver to go when that second driver doesn't have the right of way. Drivers should just drive to the rules of the road, its safer and keeps the traffic moving in an orderly fashion.

I hope that an article about passing on the right might help at least some drivers understand the rules and help improve the driving community. I have made a point of keeping to the right side of the lane to try and prevent vehicles from passing. One day a driver fingered and yelled at me, yet the driver was attempting to do something illegal (even though many drivers perform this illegal act).

I was on a motorcycle trip a few years ago with a friend , and was riding about 10 km/h faster on a two lane highway and cars were still pushing me to go faster. There was a solid line so no passing as well there were also curves to consider. The shoulder was loose gravel and for me to pull over each time the cars formed a pack behind me I would slow down and pull off to let them go.

I've noticed a new way to do left turns onto a busy four lane highway near my home. You stop at the stop sign on the side road, look both ways, then turn left, head on into the left turn lane on the highway. Once there, you check behind and move right into the fast lane if there is room. If not, you stop and wait until there is room to proceed.

Microsleeps are a fleeting, uncontrollable episode of sleep which may last from a fraction of a second up to 10 seconds. These episodes occur most frequently when a sleepy person is trying to remain awake. Up to 20% of crashes in Australia are blamed on this phenomena. Dr. Karl, who narrates this video, is best known as an author and science commentator on Australian radio and television.

Watch AT&T's new 10-minute documentary titled "The Last Text," featuring stories of real individuals whose lives have been adversely affected by texting behind the wheel.