Stopping

Thinking back over my years of doing mechanical inspections at the roadside, one of the most common deficiencies in older vehicles was a parking brake that was either seriously out of adjustment or didn't function at all. Also known as an emergency brake, this mechanical alternative to your hydraulic braking system really has two jobs: providing emergency braking in the event of brake failure and holding your vehicle stationary when it is parked. Will your parking brake be up to the job?

The Virginia Transportation Research Council looked at the addition of reflective stripes to the posts holding up stops signs and then studied driver behaviour. They found that the signs were easier to see in the daylight if the post did not have the stripe installed. The opposite was true at night. However, the conclusion of whether the treatment was useful or not did not surprise me.

This is a case of failing to stop for a red light with evidence produced from a red light camera. Mr. Eged, a lawyer, attempts to have the charge quashed.

Judging by the result, it may be a significant event in many driver's lives to be pulled over by the police. I've seen everything from jamming on the brakes and stopping in the middle of the lane to following oblivious drivers for many kilometers before they caught sight of my emergency lights.

In Penticton there is a left hand turning lane from Fairview Road onto the Channel Parkway. Industrial Avenue intersects Fairview Road close to that intersection. Often if there is a line up of cars in the left hand turning lane, some will leave a space for cars to go through from Industrial onto Fairview. I wondered if this is what you are supposed to do or if this just makes it more dangerous because those passing through onto Fairview may not be able to see traffic from the other lane on Fairview.