I was recently in a critical accident involving horses and traffic. Myself and a friend were riding our horses up Holden Corso Road in Nanaimo, BC when a driver in a blue pick up truck came up towards us travelling at least 20 kms/hour over the speed limit.
It’s an unfortunate reality in nearly every major city—road congestion, especially during rush hours. Jonas Eliasson reveals how subtly nudging just a small percentage of drivers to stay off major roads can make traffic jams a thing of the past.
My life is usually mostly rural in character, but I've been visiting Surrey this week as both a driver and a pedestrian. Given the spate of vehicle / pedestrian collisions in the news lately it has been interesting to consider how they happen in light of my unusual surroundings. I think that a large component of the problem is haste with drivers and lack of attention by pedestrians.
This TyreSafe video from the UK is equally valid here in British Columbia. Well, except for the 20p coin tread depth test of course! It urges you to consider the condition of your tires monthly, or at least prior to every long trip. In addition to what to check, it adds information on how tires can affect your ability to operate your vehicle safely.
Today it almost seems like having a minor collision is only important to those who actually collide and their insurance company. There is no requirement to report a collision to the police and other motorists can't wait for you to get out of their way.
I have to admit that I made a conscious decision to disobey a couple of traffic laws the other day. I disregarded the speed limit and failed to keep to the right lane. I didn't think that the failing to keep right would be an issue because I was pacing a marked police vehicle that I knew was not responding to an emergency.
In my current position I come across a large amount of drivers who seem to live in British Columbia but have Alberta licence plates and insurance. The story goes that they husband works in Alberta and commutes back to British Columbia on their days off. Most of the time their wife and children live full time in BC, kids attend a BC school etc.
My questions are these:
The Legal Rights for Youth web site is a project of the Justice Education Society. One of the resources on the site outlines driving laws and highlights some of the legal problems you may face once you obtain your driver's licence. While the topics don't go into signifcant depth, they do serve to highlight for new drivers the significant responsibility that they now face as licenced drivers.
A reader is curious about etiquette when someone has stopped in the traffic lane to back into a parallel parking space. This is an instance that is not specifically covered in the Motor Vehicle Act. In the event of an collision, it may be the fault of either driver depending on the circumstances.
This case involves Mr. Antonio Alves who was driving his truck on Renfrew Street at East 22nd Avenue in Vancouver making a left turn. He struck and killed 77 year old Mrs. Susan Wong as she crossed the highway in a crosswalk. Mr. Alves stopped, returned to check Mrs. Wong, spoke to a bystander, remained for a moment more and then departed. He turned himself in to police later that day.