Collisions

Peter Link was driving to White Rock from Richmond on an evening with 2 to 3 inches of new snow. On highway 99 between the highway 10 and highway 91 exits he was passed by an unidentified SUV. The SUV moved into Link's lane after passing at such a short distance that his windshield was completely covered by snow thrown up by the SUV's wheels making it impossible to see.

Occasionally you may find yourself waiting in a long line of vehicles for extended periods because a collision has temporarily shut down a highway. Here are some insights as to why the RCMP, working with the area highways contractor, has closed the road.

Steven Levitt shares data that shows car seats are no more effective than seatbelts in protecting kids aged 2 to 6 years old from dying in cars. However, during the Q&A, he makes one crucial caveat regarding a medical study that shows car seats significantly reduce injury.

Police reports quoted in the media sometimes deliver the wrong message to the public. Here's an example from the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper.

Part of the investigation of any serious motor vehicle collision is an examination of the seatbelts to determine if the person in that seating position was restrained or not. The outcome could determine whether a ticket for failing to wear the restraint was issued or not but I suspect that more commonly the information was used to determine liability. If you were not wearing your seatbelt your award for injury could be reduced by the courts.

Between 2001 and 2008, more than 5,600 VIHA residents were hospitalized and 443 died a result of transport - related motor vehicle events. More people die at a young age from transport - related collisions involving motor vehicles than any other injury - related cause of death.

Fifteen year old Wiael Hmaied was crossing diagonally across Clarke Road in Port Moody near the Barnett Highway. He was walking against the red light displayed at the nearby intersection, not using a crosswalk, when he dropped his cell phone.

Well, most crashes are preventable, even mechanical failure to some degree.

This rainy morning, as I was descending down a 10% grade coming up on an intersection, I observed two cars: grey Pontiac G5 being followed at about 3 feet distance by a large black Dodge Ram 1500.

Both vehicles were in the middle lane of a 3 lane street, where traffic 'typically' travels around 60km/h.

Last year I was involved in a single vehicle accident. I swerved to miss a raccoon (is what i think it was, anyways) and hit a curbed meridian. No injuries, noone else involved. I bent a rim on the car though and it looked like the tire was losing pressure bigtime, so I parked the car and went home to get a car dolley to tow it home and save on some ridiculous tow bill.

Australia's Transport Accident Commission in Victoria state has published The Cell, an anti-drugged driving video that is part of a TV advertising campaign there. In their typically hard hitting style the video shows a young male driver taking drugs at a party and the consequences of that choice on the drive home afterward.