DriveSmartBC

No one rides in my vehicle unless they are wearing their seatbelt. I've actually investigated a death in a collision like this one. The forces of the rear seat passenger coming forward were enough to tear the front passenger seat out of the floor of the vehicle in addition to causing or contributing to the death of the woman seated in it.

TED Talks challenge fascinating thinkers and doers to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less. Ramona Pierson was crossing the street when a drunk driver ran a red light and struck her in the crosswalk. She spent 18 months in a coma and then was placed in a senior citizens home to recover.

We all like to think that we are observant and as safe drivers, nothing should get by our eagle eyes. However, there is a feature of how our brain processes what we are seeing called situational blindness. This video from the UK is actually part of a cycling safety campaign and shows how much the scene in our visual field can change without us noticing.

Another great video from Austalia's TAC Victoria that is part of their anti-impaired driving campaign for Christmas 2011. Well known for not pulling any punches, these videos graphically illustrate the perils of impaired driving.

A short video introducing the five pillars of the Global Plan for Road Safety. These pillars are Road Safety Management, Safer Roads and Mobility, Safer Vehicles, Safer Road Users and Post Crash Response.

Transport Canada, the Automobile Protection Agency (APA) and the Rubber Association of Canada (RAC), teamed up to create a series of videos that clearly demonstrate how winter tires drastically improve driver safety when compared to all season tires or a mix of winter and all season tires.

Join the folks at Fifth Gear as they crash a Ford Focus into a barrier at 120 mph or 193 km/h. After you take a look at the result, remember that a two vehicle head on crash at freeway speeds here in BC is somewhat the same. Two vehicles coming together at 100 KM/H each is the energy equivalent of this car striking the barrier at 200 km/h.

In this video, Justin McNaull, AAA Public Affairs, discusses the risks posed by using a cell phone while driving. The video covers how the use of a cell phone behind the wheel can be a dangerous distraction, as well the fact that hands-free devices are not risk-free substitutes for handheld phones. It also offers tips on avoiding this kind of distraction.

Have you ever met or been overtaken by an emergency vehicle with lights flashing and sirens wailing when you were navigating a roundabout? What to do? Well, a roundabout is just another type of intersection, so you must immediately move out of it, stop and remain stopped until the emergency vehicle or vehicles pass by.

This is one of four videos, part of the Pictures of You anti-speeding campaign conducted by the Transport Accident Commission of Victoria, Australia.