Braap, braaaap, braaaaaaaaaap, chug, chug, chug, chug. Yes, it's motorcycle season again. For many drivers—often referred to as "cagers" by the riding community—it is the time of year to complain about engine noise. For riders, however, it is a season defined by the constant risk of being overlooked by drivers who simply fail to see them.
We might think that we are good at multitasking when we drive but neurobiology tells a different story. The multitasking myth contributes to the risk of being involved in a collision because our brain is not wired to do it.
When the conversation turns to driving one of the first questions raised is why don't B.C. drivers follow the traffic rules? Our system is complex and involves people with many different skills, attitudes and perceived needs. They see themselves as good drivers and believe that other road users are the problem to be solved.
According to Reinventing Parking, our cars sit idle for 95% of their lives. This means that we need a proper place to store them when they are not being used. The nature of the demand for parking spaces has created a collection of rules and defines the urgency for their enforcement.
I've been trolling through the DriveSmartBC inbox for inspiration this morning. There are a lot of road safety questions there that deserve to be mentioned. Thanks to all who contributed to the following:
Do you wait for a situation to happen and then react to it when you drive? If so, mastering active hazard perception would be the most effective step that you could take to keep yourself safe on B.C.'s roads. Being proactive behind the wheel identifies potential threats before they become dangerous and helps you avoid being involved in a crash.
I was working traffic enforcement and had stopped a speeding driver. When I was serving a copy of the speeding ticket to her I noticed a pickup truck pull in behind my police vehicle. When the ticket recipient pulled away the driver got out and approached me. "You can't write speeding tickets here" he stated.
Question: My father wants to know about the rules for mobility scooters in B.C. The one that he is considering is completely covered so he can drive it in Comox and Courtenay all winter long.
"Haven't you got anything better to do?" This was a common attitude expressed by drivers after being told that they had been stopped for a traffic rule infraction. "Why aren't you out catching real criminals?"
We grew up with our parents smoking in the car and never gave any thought to the dangers of second hand smoke. Today children under the age of 16 and people in the workplace are protected from second hand smoke by legislation. It is an offence to smoke in your vehicle with children present or to smoke in your workplace.