DriveSmartBC

To be honest, I don't know how I can think of anything else positive to say about driving in B.C.. The driving is often so bad, that I'm impressed when people take the correct lawful action where 99% of other drivers are/have doing it wrong.

Today on Front Street in New Westminster, a truck headed towards me had one of the doors on the tool compartments on the side flailing wildly and I had to swerve to avoid it from hitting my vehicle.

Yesterday, a fellow with a pickup truck had a liquor bottle on his back bumper that got knocked off forcing me to swerve to ensure it went between my tires.

Two cyclists riding abreast blocking a string of cars that would have otherwise been able to pass in Richmond last Thursday.

The day before yesterday, in Burnaby a guy ran a red light turning right forcing me to swerve into oncomming traffic to avoid him.

I was deliberately paced last week to prevent merging onto the Trans-Canada in North Vancouver last month. When I made eye contact with the driver doing this, he shook his head implying that my merging wasn't going to happen.

Last week, a car passed me on the right resulting in the vehicle cutting me off when the roadway inevetibly narrowed.

I was passed on the right by a senior citizen who proceeded to flip me the bird because I had the audacity to drive the speed limit on 10th Avenue in New Westminster. That same lady would go on to swerve around a fire truck turning left with its lights flashing. She then went on to disobey a police officer at the accident scene the fire truck was responding to by turning left when she was specifcally instructed to stop.

A driver in a Vancouver police paddywagon had to slam his brakes as I proceeded to take the third exit at a roundabout I was in first. I certainly hope no one was riding in the back!

A number of weeks ago, an SUV in a multi lane roundabout cut into my lane forcing me onto the truck apron.

A few months ago, a lady ran a stop sign coming off the Trans-Canada and I had to stop using the emergency brake and avoid swerving to avoid hitting the car in the lane next to and behind me. In this occasion, that vehicle was an RCMP car who promptly pulled over the lady who cut me off.

I was passed on a painted island as I approached a red light. As I stopped behind the vehicle who passed me, I couldn't help but laugh at the pointlessness and stupidity of the maneouvre. This was witnessed through the gentleman's sideview mirror who then proceeded to floor it when the light turned green. Doing the speed limit I caught up to him again, waiting at another red light.

It goes on and on and on....

In Alberta, they had a program where they pulled people over for driving safely and giving them cheques for $50. I don't think the police here would ever pay out if they tried that out here.

Something positive, eh?

Drivers in B.C. are incredibly good at merging and mainting a 1:1 ratio where lanes come together. In all my travels, B.C. is the best for that. That's hardly consolation for all the other driving behaviours I noted above.

I wish I could be more positive, but as you said, it wouldn't take much driving around until you found your next column topic. You've chosen than rather unfortunate hobby of writing about driving in British Columbia and inevitbly you're going to meet with almost nothing but bad things to write about.

I work at a Driver Licensing Appointed Agent's office and we provide driver services  for our community. Often times we deal with the unhappy young adult who is struggling to obtain their license.

Just more than five years ago, we issued a young man with his Learner license after passing the knowledge exam on the first try. Exactly one year later, we issued his Novice license, with very few demerits. Just shy of two years later, he came to pay a stack of various violation tickets and we had a discussion about premium/ penalty points. A month later, he cancelled his insurance and surrendered his license as per a letter from the OSMV. He was angry and blameful to everyone but himself. He spent the next few months after his prohibition paying off his debts so he could re-apply for his license and start the 2 year Novice wait period all over again. 

Earlier this week, he returned to re-take his Novice test. He was calm, pleasant, respectful and hopeful of passing his roadtest. An hour later, I was issuing his full Class 5 license. As we chatted, he said, "Its a good thing I'm getting this now. I wasn't ready before. It's easier to driver better now that I know how bad it could be." I asked his to elaborate and he said, "I guess I was just too young to drive. I know better now."

This left me with a sense of peace. This young man is a positive product of our province's new rules. The GLP waiting period and Administrative Driving Prohibition are necessary to make sure our young drivers have really grown up before we issue a full Class 5 license and allow them to share our roads.

This young man was not too proud to agree that he needed to grow up to deserve the privilege of driving. Thats a big deal to me. I hope this counts as a positive spin on your column!!

Here is a positive topic to write about.  A couple of days ago I was in my private vehicle driving downtown in Victoria.  It was mid afternoon and traffic was already becoming heavy.  I was stopped in traffic at a red light in the left lane of Douglas Street, which has two lanes for each direction of traffic.  I heard the sound of an emergency siren approaching.  I looked in various directions and saw the approaching ambulance coming from behind me.  My immediate thoughts were “How are the other users of the road going to react?”  And, “Will they react appropriately or do something stupid and endanger us all?”   I was most pleased to see how the other drivers handled the unfolding situation.  Those vehicles in the right hand lane that had the ability to pull over to the shoulder, did so.  Those vehicles in the left hand lane that bordered the oncoming lanes, chose to remain still rather than move into an oncoming lane of traffic – a definite no -no.  This allowed the ambulance driver the choice of making an informed decision to either continue in the now mostly open right hand lane, or to carefully cross over into the oncoming lane, traffic permitting.  I was happy to see the ambulance was able to travel freely and continue on its way to whatever emergency it was dispatched to.  People reacted appropriately and prudently.  A good lesson here.   Don’t panic.  Don’t feel you have to move into a position of danger such as an oncoming lane of traffic.  If you can safely move over – great.  If you have no safe options available – stay put!  Allow the ambulance driver to make the appropriate decision.

With a multi-lane roundabout, the inside lane gets the right of way. Alberta makes this clear and this seems to be the rule in Washington state from what I've seen. In B.C. I haven't seen anything in any literature that makes any mention of this, nor does anyone seem to follow this convention.

This conflict happens when a car that entered from the south or west entrance takes the north exit in the inside lane and a car entering the roundabout from the east entrance intends to go straight in the outside lane.

I normally think roundabouts are great, but here in B.C. I've only seen one or two cars here actually navigate a roundabout 100% legally. This means signaling one's intention when approaching the roundabout (or not signaling if going straight) and starting one's right signal after passing the exit that the motorist isn't taking, thus giving ample notice to people at the next entrance waiting to enter that you intend to exit and that they may start their entrance, carefully.

Because of what I've experienced here, I firmly believe that roundabouts in B.C. are a bad idea. The locals can't use them properly, so it feels as if they make intersection MORE dangerous. The caveat of course is that accidents that take place in roundabouts tend to be glancing blows and there is less likely for injury.

I sometimes think local cops could hit paydirt if they enforced certain "ignorance" based violations. Just imagine all the failure to signal tickets that could be handed out. The locals would learn mighty quickly!

My partner, Vic will be 79 this August.  This man has OVER 3 million miles of unblemished driving behind his  Class 1 driver's license belt.  He has in his lifetime, owned & operated highway transport, driven charter buses as well as for Greyhound and Island Coach, Westmin Mines & for 7 years transported RV's from Indiana to Surrey, as well as shuttling RV's from Langley to Calgary & back.  I drove with & for him during his last year of RV shuttling & heard & saw first hand his driving ability.  I have never in my life met anyone who is such a skilled & smooth driver. I watched him one winter "walking out' an empty 5T van through knee high snow - no chains, no snow tires.  Unmbelievable- never thought he'd manage it.  He, on the other hand, never blinked.  (It was a UHaul truck).  He is exceptional - a completly professional driver & prides himself as such.  A comment from one of his drivers was, 'if you want a smooth ride - drive with Vic'.  He is truly a skilled & SAFE driver - notices EVERYTHING & takes great pride in the vehicle he is operating.  He has taught ME much (& I thought I was pretty decent....) - they don't come any better.

I'm not sure if you'd call it a 'positive subject' but I don't remember in my 75 years (56 as a driver) reading much about safety chains on trailers.... Lot's of drivers these days are towing little domestic trailers around, moving garden refuse, furniture, dirt bikes and other 'stuff' from A to B...