DriveSmartBC

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:

What happened the last time that you decided to deal with a road safety problem? Were you successful in your quest? Were your views taken "for information purposes?" Did you get sucked into the whirlpool of "that's not my job" or worse still, ignored completely?

Question: 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.

Question: The provincial driving guide, Learn to Drive Smart, in the yellow lines section, cites:

Broken line -- passing is allowed when safe

Single yellow line -- vehicles travelling in either direction may pass when it is safe

What is the difference?

I've written before about the three Es of road safety; education, engineering and enforcement. The enforcement component was the subject of a comment to me concerning a visible police presence on our highways. The observation was that the use of unmarked police cars contributes to what seems like minimal enforcement and creates an "I can get away with it" mindset.

The case of Huettner v Lo involves an unsafe lane change made by the driver of a white Kia Rondo in front of a transit bus  that was northbound on Burrard Street in the HOV-dedicated far right lane beside the Hotel Vancouver sidewalk, approaching Georgia Street. Dashcam video was enhanced to identify that vehicle's licence number.

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.

You don't have to be actually driving a motor vehicle when your ability to drive is impaired by alcohol or a drug to be convicted for impaired driving or receiving an Immediate Roadside Prohibition. Simply being able to set the vehicle in motion, engine running or not, may be enough because you have care and control of the motor vehicle while you are impaired.

When it comes to insurance it is never a good idea to misrepresent anything. Whether it is how your vehicle is being used or how the loss that you are applying for coverage for happened, lying to ICBC is not a good thing to do. In the case of Media West Zny Inc. the claim for the cost of two newly leased trucks burned in separate fires was denied.

Why, oh why, when there are literally kilometres of unused pavement in sight, does the driver of the vehicle passing me have to make a lane change to the right and put their car within about 3 vehicle lengths of my front bumper?