DriveSmartBC

This advertisement from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership reminds us why we choose to wear our seatbelts.

Without doubt, the laws that drivers fail to follow the most often must regard the speed limit. Everyone has a justification for doing so. They range from being in a hurry, which is selfish, to the limit is set too low which is either a reasonable observation or a result of failing to take all factors into consideration.

I just got home from my week of driving and today I received a ticket for "Slow Driving" which I don't understand or agree with.

For years I've thought about sending this question to you. This is regarding the issue of "walk on left, ride on right". I have always understood that on any road/path with no sidewalk that is shared by pedestrians and vehicles (including bicycles), the pedestrians should keep to the left facing traffic, and the vehicles keep to the right.

This is a case decided by the BC Court of Appeal in 1994. It has relevance today for requests for disclosure to prepare a defence for traffic court. A quick look at many internet sites will find advice that you should ask for everything except the dirt in the floor mats of the police vehicle and if the police don't supply it the case will be dismissed.

Last week's column on overdriving low beam headlights resulted in some interesting comments. Chief among them was the thought that this wasn't a problem because the driver had installed high wattage bulbs and now had more light to see with. Do you suppose that these drivers don't know this is a bad practice or just don't care about themselves and others who use the highway?

This YouTube video by South Australia's Motor Accident Commission nicely illustrates the hazards of racing your motorcycle on the streets instead of the track.

Kurtis William Rock was an 18 year old who spent the day drinking beer in the park with friends. At the conclusion of the drinking session he loaded two minors in his mother's Buick Rendezvous and entered traffic in the City of Vancouver.

A large majority of drivers have simply forgot about traffic laws, safety and respect for others. Daily, one can see many drivers traveling at 20-50 km/hr faster then the posted speed limits. The problem is so bad that some of us residents have formed a Concerned Residents Committee to help us voice our concerns for a solution to this on-going problem.

Imagine that you are a firefighter, hose in hand, approaching the flames inside a burning building. You open the nozzle on your attack line and...nothing. Someone has driven over the hose outside in the street and ruptured it causing a loss of pressure.