Backing Up

I had a bit of a scare the other day when I tried to back out of a space in a busy parking lot. There was a large van beside me blocking my view so I scanned as completely as I could and began to let up on the clutch. No sooner had I started to roll than a woman paying more attention to her smart phone than where she was walking appeared from behind the van. We both slammed on the brakes and after looking at each other for a moment, she continued on her way.

The crew from the School Bus Garage in Keremeos tell about a person driving a motor home that backed out of a driveway near a school bus that was dropping off children. The person didn’t appear to be paying attention and almost backed over one of them. The crew thought that a big yellow school bus displaying flashing lights should have been a clue for the driver to exercise more care.

A reader is curious about etiquette when someone has stopped in the traffic lane to back into a parallel parking space. This is an instance that is not specifically covered in the Motor Vehicle Act. In the event of an collision, it may be the fault of either driver depending on the circumstances.

My driveway opens into a four lane street. To back into the driveway I shoulder check, when it is clear to do so I turn into the center lane from the curb lane and back into my driveway. Is this the proper way to enter my driveway? Someone told me this may be illegal. If so what is the best way to enter my driveway and are there any references to the ICBC website or driving book. I was not able to find anything about this.