DriveSmartBC

The subject of an officer using his or her discretion in the issuance of a traffic ticket is often part of what I receive in an e-mail asking for help. Usually the inquiry is from someone who is preparing for traffic court and feels that in their case the officer should have given them a warning instead of a ticket. Sometimes I agree with them and sometimes I don't.

This is a case of "do as I say, not as I do." A DriveSmartBC newsletter reader reports that they admit to making a conscious decision to disobey a couple of traffic laws the other day. They did not follow the speed limit and failed to keep to the right lane.

Cindy Li was involved in a hit & run crash. She had heard the siren of an approaching fire engine and slowed in preparation to yield to it. While her vehicle was still moving, it was struck from behind by another car.

Question: Beadlockers generate a lot of discussion in the offroading world. Most maintain that "DOT approved" beadlocks are fine in BC, but I can't find any supporting legislation either way. The BC regulations are silent, but there might be something in federal legislation.

Question: I would really like to see advice for cycling on narrow, twisty roads. We do a lot of biking with a small group on roads in the Okanagan and are sometimes unsure what’s best and safest.

Is it really necessary to make shoulder checks while driving? If you expect to pass a driving exam in British Columbia the answer is a definite yes. However, some driving schools are teaching mirror adjustment techniques to replace shoulder checks.

Imagine that you are a firefighter, hose in hand, approaching the flames inside a burning building. You open the nozzle on your attack line and...nothing. Someone has driven over the hose outside in the street and ruptured it causing a loss of pressure.

It is not uncommon to watch a vehicle pull up in the parking lot of a service station or convenience store and watch the driver get out and walk inside, leaving the vehicle unlocked, idling and unsecured. What better opportunity for a car thief or joyrider can a person provide?

Most drivers believe that if they are facing a green light at an intersection they have the absolute right of way to drive through without any need to consider stopping. A recent case in the B.C. Supreme Court on making left turns through stopped traffic illustrates that this is not a reasonable expectation.

The case of Topolewski v Blyschak arises from a collision between a commercial truck and a Honda Civic at the intersection of Mary Street and Hodgins Avenue in Chiliwack. Mr. Topolewski had driven his commercial truck northbound on Mary Street intending to make a right turn onto Hodgins Avenue.