Lanes

Highway lane use information.

RESEARCH - More Than Paint Needed to Keep Cyclists Safe

painted cycle laneResearch by Dr. Ben Beck at Australia's Monash University collected data on 60 cyclists in Melbourne who rode their bicycles with a custom device (the 'MetreBox') installed to quantify the distance that motor vehicle drivers provide when passing them. More than 18,000 vehicle passing events from 422 trips were recorded.

Q&A - Crossing a Solid Line

Q&A ImageQ: I was on a highway in bumper-to-bumper traffic approaching my exit for work and changed lanes to the right once I saw the end of HOV lane sign, and in doing so crossed a solid white line. An RCMP officer was on the side of the highway and waved me over. I explained that I would be exiting the highway and that's why I changed lanes. He gave me a ticket for violation of Section 151(b) - crossing a solid line.

I appealed the ticket and intend to plead not guilty on the basis of section 156, which suspends sections 151 and 155 under certain conditions.

Keep Right Except to Pass

Keep Right SignLeft lane hogs were back in the news again this week. The CTV Vancouver news story that I watched complained that drivers were not being held to account by police for failing to move out of the left lane and letting other drivers pass. The report claims that based on ticket numbers reported by ICBC the number of drivers ticketed for failing to keep right fell from 799 in 2016 to 699 in 2018.

NEWS - Commercial Trucks Confined to Right Lanes

TranBC logoEffective this week, heavy commercial vehicles will be forbidden to use the leftmost lane on the Coquihalla Highway between Box Canyon and Zopkios. Aimed at keeping "spun out" trucks on the right side of the highway and the left lane clear for snow removal equipment and tow trucks. If this pilot program produces the hoped for outcome it may be extended to other routes in the interior of the province.

CASE LAW - Nguyen v Busink

BC Courts Coat of ArmsThi My Tien Nguyen and Evelyn Busink were both driving their vehicles eastbound on 100 Avenue intending to turn left onto 140 Avenue in Surrey. Ms. Nguyen moved to the left and traveled over the painted median island before entering the marked left turn lane. Ms. Busink moved into the left turn lane when it began without looking to her left and struck Ms. Nguyen's vehicle.