Short of a collision, one of the worst things that happens to us as we travel from place to place is having our vehicle break down on us. Most of us opt to call a tow truck and have the problem repaired by professionals rather than doing the work on the side of the road.
This is an article on etiquette and consideration for others that has little to do with safety, and everything to do with respect. I was asked to write on the subject of funeral processions by the friend of a family whose members were upset at the lack of thought shown by other drivers entering and leaving the procession to the cemetery.
There is a time and a place for everything, but stunting in traffic on the streets and highways of British Columbia isn't it. In addition to issuing expensive traffic tickets to these drivers, police are also required to impound the stunt vehicle.
"Oh yeah, I know the trailer brakes are working, I could feel them grabbing on the hill!" To me, this was almost as reliable as "The cheque is in the mail!" when it came to testing trailers with surge brakes at the roadside.
I've been asked to comment on why intersections are not patrolled as often as highways. The person making that request observed that there is a significant propensity for drivers to run yellow and red lights. It appears to them that intersections pose a much greater and possibly deadlier risk than speeding on a straight stretch of highway.
"I'll see you in traffic court!" This hollow threat often ended conversations at the roadside after a driver was issued a traffic ticket for a violation. I knew that few of them would actually carry out their intention and if they did, there would probably be no coherent defence made.
Two "beefs" from the weekly Beefs & Bouquets article in the Nanaimo News Bulletin caught my attention this week. Both concern one of the most dangerous places on our highways: the intersection.
Effective on June 3, 2024 a new division called Electric Wheelchairs and Mobility Scooters has been added to the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations. Division 38A defines the terms "electric wheelchairs" and "mobility scooters," designates them as personal mobility devices and creates an offence for operating them dangerously.
The Victoria Times Colonist Comments section often contains interesting discussions on road safety. Today's edition shared a letter that raised the issue of slow cycling for me. It was not the writer's intention as the subject was about the need for cycle lanes in Central Saanich.
I commute on Highway 19 daily. The road has been maintained by filling the cracks with tar rather than repaving it. In the wet weather what I'm seeing is the ruts (worn into the driven part) in the right lane are holding up to 20 mm of standing water sometimes for hundreds of meters at a time.