Miscellaneous

Are defective vehicles a crash hazard? I suppose it depends on what part of the vehicle is defective and what the defect is. Few crashes are listed as being directly caused by poor maintenance or deliberate improper modifications. Most often it is a driver error that is cited.

Do you make new year's resolutions? I decided that I should this year and because of my interest, why not make it on my driving. With a little thought I resolved to take more time to scan my surroundings carefully before I did something like make a lane change or move away from a stop sign.

Over the last 15 months I have had an issue in regards to my neighbours who insist on having the horn honk when they lock their vehicles. I think the problem can easily be resolved by education.

For my final article of 2024 I turned social media and asked people there what they thought were important road safety issues to review. Within a very short time I had five suggestions to write about.

I've had a couple of regular correspondents ask me recently about night driving glasses. These glasses have yellow lenses and are supposed to cut glare and increase contrast allowing you to see better in the darkness. After a bit of research, it appears that using these glasses is not a good idea.

It is not uncommon to watch a vehicle pull up in the parking lot of a service station or convenience store and watch the driver get out and walk inside, leaving the vehicle unlocked, idling and unsecured. What better opportunity for a car thief or joyrider can a person provide?

Do you struggle to adjust to the road conditions as the weather changes in the lead up to winter? Daylight hours decrease, traction conditions change rapidly and slower speeds may be necessary to remain safe. Make sure that all your lights are on when necessary and let's drive for the season.

When I was posted to Fort St. John detachment, the decision was easy, our family car had four studded winter tires. Once I was transferred to Penticton, these tires went with the car when we traded it in and we used all season tires throughout the year.

Question: What is the protocol for passengers paying for gas if there is one? If someone offers to help pay for the gas and they give you the money right away, could they sue you in the case of an accident? If they pay at the end of the trip is that different?

Short of a collision, one of the worst things that happens to us as we travel from place to place is having our vehicle break down on us. Most of us opt to call a tow truck and have the problem repaired by professionals rather than doing the work on the side of the road.