DriveSmartBC

Have you noticed the growing tendency of lazy drivers who are now crossing over oncoming lanes of traffic to stop in front of particular addresses? It used to be that I would happen to notice people parked facing the wrong way in front of houses but now a week doesn't go by where I come nearly face to face in a game of parking chicken with a driver who has decided to cross over the center line to stop in front of a house.

Back on the 25th of July I wrote about the rash of motorcycle collisions on Vancouver Island. Most were attributed to driver error and I wrote that the Graduated Licencing Program gave new drivers plenty of time to develop their skills before moving on to the next stage.

OK, hands up those of you who have taken formal driver training in the past five years and were not learning to drive for the first time. Heck, hands up everyone who has ever taken formal driver training after you first obtained your driver's licence. Perhaps I need glasses, but I don't see a forest of hands waving out there!

This year has not been a good year for motorcycle collisions on Vancouver Island. Of nine fatalities, police report that seven of them have been the fault of the rider. Speed and inexperience are the cited contributing factors.

The Violation Ticket Centre operates in the Robson Square Courthouse in Vancouver and serves the entire province. The Centre's only business is to act as a centralized administrative service to support the processing of Provincial Violation Tickets.

I was recently told a story by driver who stopped at an intersection and when checking for cross traffic was surprised to find a truck laying on the drivers side a short distance away. This driver assessed the situation and concluded that it had happened within the last few moments, a number of people had stopped to help and it appeared that the driver was out and shaken but unhurt. He turned right and drove away from the scene.

One of my old supervisors used to shake his head and say "$5.00 head, $5.00 helmet!" He was referring to Harley riders who wore "beanie" helmets that didn't do much more than hold the other ends of the chin straps.

At all hours of the day or night emergency vehicles will use their sirens. I live in a small quiet suburb and you can literally fire a cannon as they say, down the main road at night. It is not fun being awakened at 3 or 4 in the morning because of this. I can appreciate what these folks have to contend with as far as dumb drivers are concerned but in the early hours of the morning there are no cars.

I've got a suggestion: colour of exterior lights and reflectors. Lots of kids replace amber bulbs with blue, red ones with clear, red lenses with clear, amber reflectors with green, bulbs with LEDs, etc. I get a lot of heartbreaking letters from parents, "My kid just got a ticket...are blue parking lights really illegal?!"

Would you do a column on the importance of vehicle maintenance? Not only regarding upkeep of tires, fluids, brakes, or suspension, but also the importance of regularly checking to ensure all the lights on the vehicle are clean and in good working order.