In the early evening of May 26, 2018 a person in a motorized wheelchair tried to cross the railroad tracks at Broadway Street in Chilliwack. During the crossing the rear caster wheels of the wheelchair dropped down into the flangeway (slot alongside the inside of the rail that allows the wheel flanges to pass the pavement), trapping the chair.
Line marking crews have begun the annual task of refreshing markings on highways across British Columbia to help provide a safer drive for motorists. More than 30,000 kilometres of lines are marked every year throughout the province to guide drivers.
A recent survey by ResearchCo has found that 7 out of 10 British Columbians approve of using intersection cameras to conduct speed enforcement as well as ticketing red light runners. The survey also found that just over half of us also support the use of point to point speed cameras while over 3 in 5 support either fixed or mobile speed cameras.
Our current system of trying to change driver behaviour largely consists of traffic tickets, vehicle impoundment and driver's licence suspensions. They all rely on traffic policing to find and deal with those who don't follow the rules. Electronic monitoring of chronic offenders would be more efficient.
Our government has announced that ride hailing companies will be allowed to apply for licensing from the Passenger Transportation Board on September 3, 2019. If you are interested in becoming a driver for one of these services it would be wise to begin your planning now as you will require a class 4 driver's licence, criminal record check, driving record check, a current vehicle inspection and extra insurance from ICBC.
The rain is pounding down outside this morning as I sit looking out my living room window with tablet and coffee in hand. I think I'm fortunate to be retired because I am no longer on the highway investigating collisions in this weather. Of course, Murphy was listening...
Khalid Almardy was stopped by police in the early morning hours of October 21, 2017 in Victoria as he was a novice driver who was not displaying a new driver sign on his vehicle and was carrying too many passengers. Cst. Christians of the Capital Region Integrated Road Safety Unit detected the odour of liquor on Mr. Almardy's breath. Drivers in the Graduated Licensing Program must have zero blood alcohol when driving.
In the MVA under section 189 it states that: (1) Except when necessary to avoid conflict with traffic or to comply with the law or the directions of a peace officer or traffic control device, a person must not stop, stand or park a vehicle as follows: (k) alongside or opposite a street excavation or obstruction when stopping, standing or parking obstructs traffic;
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has released the British Columbia Active Transportation Design Guide. The Guide addresses human powered modes of transportation and focuses primarily on walking, cycling and rolling. However, it also addresses single person electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, scooters, Segways, skateboards and hoverboards.
If I were to ask you what a flag person's job was, what would you reply? Assure orderly movement of traffic through a highway obstruction of some sort? Help everyone involved to be safe as they work on the highway? Why then do some drivers treat flagpersons so badly?