A recent article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal examined impaired driving and the legalization of recreational cannabis. It concluded that there is potential for a small but important increase in fatal motor vehicle collisions due to recreational marihuana use.
The case of R v Labbee involves a pedestrian collision at the intersection of Patten Avenue and Mary Street in Chilliwack. Fourghozaman Firoozian was crossing Mary Street from west to east in the marked crosswalk. A southbound silver-grey pickup failed to stop for her, knocking her down and driving over her.
The lights that our vehicles are equipped with serve two important functions. They allow us to see and they allow us to be seen by other road users. The messages conveyed to others by our vehicle's lights must be clear with no opportunity for confusion. This convention is followed worldwide.
How will non-automated road users (pedestrians, cyclists and conventional vehicle drivers) interact with automated vehicles in real world settings? Dr. Alex Bigazzi, Dr. Jordi Honey-Rosés and their research team at the University of British Columbia (UBC) are investigating this question and request your help.
Does your community have a road safety plan? If if does, your local government is probably ahead of most. If it doesn't, you should be asking your elected representatives why this is the case. After all, you are more likely to suffer financial loss, injury or death from a traffic related incident than you are from all other criminal actions combined.
Question: When I drive into a construction zone I see the sign about double the fine, but have been told that the fine incurred is actually excessive speed if the speed is too high. Is there an actual regulation about double the fine or is this sign just a deterrent?
What do you have stored in your vehicle to protect yourself in the event of a breakdown or collision? Most of us will probably reply that they don't have anything prepared for this eventuality. In fact, with the reliability of vehicles today and perhaps not having been involved in a significant collision before, we may be lulled into thinking that we don't really need it.
Intentional collisions staged to commit insurance fraud cost us all. The following five videos from the US National Insurance Crime Bureau web site contain examples of staged collisions to help you avoid being injured or victimized by criminals.
Have you ever wondered if a vehicle was stolen but didn't want to call the police to find out? Now you can use the same search tool that the police do with your own home computer and internet connection! Simply visit the Canadian Police Information Center (CPIC) web site and search for stolen vehicles by Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). If the vehicle is in the CPIC database as stolen you'll know.
Have you ever wondered about the instruments that the police use to measure vehicle speeds on our highways? My favourite tool was LIDAR because it gave me the ability to accurately measure the speeds of individual vehicles. Although the laser must be used from a stationary position, either hand held or on a tripod, being able to target a specific vehicle made it superior to RADAR on a busy highway.