This column is dedicated to the middle aged male driver who turned left in the intersection and completed the turn half way into my lane as I approached him and half way into the lane that he was supposed to be using. Was he being inattentive, careless or did he not know any better?
I have been ticketed for crossing a double yellow line just before the end of the right hand lane in a passing zone. The reason for this manoeuvre was I had been in the right lane and catching up to another vehicle, I switched to the left lane to overtake the slower moving vehicle, I estimate the speed variation to be around 30 KPH.
Mirror, signal, shoulder check, change is the chant that we all know to follow for a successful lane change. We also use our rearview mirrors to give us a better view than our eyes alone when we are backing up. Is this all that mirrors are used for and are these the only times that we use them?
The case of Regina v Derek William Irwin looks at the charge of Dangerous Driving under section 249 of the Criminal Code of Canada. Dangerous driving is "a marked departure from the standard expected of a reasonably prudent driver."
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?