How long has it been since you read the manual that new drivers study to prepare for their first driver's license? Why bother you say? You've been driving for years and have the necessary knowledge. I wish I could say that!
You've just received a traffic ticket and from your point of view the officer definitely had a bad attitude when they issued it to you. I'll dispute the ticket and tell the court exactly what I think may cross your mind as you consider your situation. Surely the justice will see your point and give you a break.
Trip inspection report standards for commercial and business vehicles in B.C. are defined in both National Safety Code 13 and the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations. Daily pre- and post-trip inspections of these vehicles are mandated to insure safety by identifying and repairing defects that would cause a collision or result in a breakdown before driving.
When I was younger and worked in a service station, we never worried about driving the vehicles that we were repairing. Out on a road test, they all behaved the same. Press on the accelerator or brakes, steer and shift as required. That's not the case today as it could be dangerous to drive an unfamiliar new car.
Here is a series of four videos from TranBC that are part of the Be Truck Aware initiative. They illustrate dangerous choices made by the drivers of small vehicles when they fail to share the road properly with heavy trucks.
Do the police ever charge a fellow officer with a traffic offence? I suspect that members of the public would respond "no" to that assertion and would be skeptical of protests to the contrary. This case involves an unmarked police car speeding on the Okanagan Connector near Merritt.
Ah courtesy, where have you gone? You are certainly scarce on the highways and byways of our fair province! When was the last time another driver did something nice for you to facilitate a movement? Did you wave to say thank you afterwards? We can all get along nicely with a bit of courtesy now and again.
Are defective vehicles a crash hazard? I suppose it depends on what part of the vehicle is defective and what the defect is. Few crashes are listed as being directly caused by poor maintenance or deliberate improper modifications. Most often it is a driver error that is cited.
Last week's column looked at the 24 hour prohibition from driving for all drivers who had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 50 mg% or higher and were either the driver of or who had care and control of a vehicle on a highway or industrial road. This week we'll look at 12 hour suspensions that apply to drivers who are in the Graduated Licensing Program (GLP).
Do you make new year's resolutions? I decided that I should this year and because of my interest, why not make it on my driving. With a little thought I resolved to take more time to scan my surroundings carefully before I did something like make a lane change or move away from a stop sign.