DriveSmartBC

Some sections of rural highways in British Columbia saw an increase in the posted speed limit in 2014 following a provincial government review which included a poll of the population. Within two years some of these increases were rolled back due to rising collision rates. Today a research report released by academics from the University of British Columbia evaluates the effect that the initial speed increases have had since they were implemented.

In general, traffic enforcement is a solitary effort for police outside of the province's municipalities. I've often wondered just how close I have come to something bad happening in a traffic stop while I was a long way away from the nearest backup. Since today is Thanksgiving, I want to tell a story where something bad did almost happen and I'm very thankful for the "almost."

Many drivers believe speeding alone does not actually cause crashes. While not totally inaccurate, this over-simplified phrase does not paint the whole picture. The fact is, very few crashes are caused by one factor alone, and this includes speeding, but downplaying the impact of speeding can prove to be deadly.

Change is good, that is unless the town wants to upgrade a busy T intersection with a roundabout rather than installing traffic lights. This is the situation in Qualicum Beach where the town has announced that it intends to rebuild the intersection of highway 19A (Island Highway West) and highway 4 (Memorial Avenue) using a roundabout. This is something that the Qualicum Beach Residents Association (QBRA) opposes.

Have you ever had your trailer start to play wag the dog while you are driving along the highway? Chances are good that this happened due to the way that you loaded your trailer. Too much weight on the rear of a trailer is a recipe for trouble. This video shows why.

On September 9, 2015 Edward Scherbey was driving a vehicle exiting a school zone. His speed was measured using laser at 56 km/h. Constable Sabulsky stopped him and issued a traffic ticket for speeding in the school zone. He disputed the ticket but was not successful.

Question: I ride a KLR 650, as well a KTM 450 exec. Both are street legal and have smaller engine displacements. These motorcycles are built with little steel and are mostly aluminum. Neither one of my bikes will force a light change at Leathead and 97 as well as Highway 97 and Sexsmith road intersections in Kelowna.

I received an interesting fact sheet from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) this week. It looks at distracted driving related fatal collisions in Canada from 2000 to 2015. In some Canadian provinces this type of fatality has surpassed the total caused by alcohol impaired driving. However, that's not the part of the document that made me pause.

Here's an image of a cyclist caught on dashcam riding along Garden City Road between Westminster Highway and Granville Avenue in Richmond, B.C. He is riding the wrong way, without a helmet, failing to keep at least one hand on the handlebars and appears to be texting on a cell phone. Four separate Motor Vehicle Act violations!

I am generally not a person who likes the rain, but as I sit with my coffee in hand looking out the window this morning I'm happy to see it. No doubt, so is the vegetation that depends on it. Not so for drivers though, social media has been full of well meant advice to slow down due to the potential of slippery roads.