Driver Training

"Will driver education ever be made mandatory?" asks a DriveSmartBC reader. He expressed the opinion that most of what drivers need to know could be taught in the high school classroom. While I would like to see mandatory training I don't think that this could be done well in high schools because of the lack of an opportunity to actually drive under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

Do you drive or service vehicles with air brake or electronic safety systems on board? The Bendix Brake School is a free resource that teaches how Bendix products work in these applications. While it is manufacturer specific, the information in general will apply to similar offerings by other companies. The material includes a complete airbrake training course whose interactive content includes quizzes and exams.

Taking away someone's privilege to drive is viewed as a drastic step in correcting driving behaviour. Currently, a fully licensed driver has to accumulate a significant number of points in a year before the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles takes steps to apply this penalty. In my experience, the traffic courts are also reluctant to take this step, saying "I'll leave that up to the Superintendent." when the officer prosecuting requests a prohibition as part of the penalty.

The Driving With Us archive contains articles written by Steve Wallace, owner of Wallace Driving School. Steve shares valuable insights into defensive driving with readers and sometimes slips in an opinion or two. The articles also appear regularly in the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper. In either format, the articles are always worth your time to read and consider.

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My mother learned to drive on the prairies as a teenager. She paid her two dollars, was given a driver's licence and then learned to drive. I learned in my teens as well, studying the driving guide, took a twenty question test, spent some time as a learner, passed a 20 minute road test and I had my licence.

I am occasionally asked about using the left foot for braking instead of the right foot. The usual justification given for this is that the brakes may be applied more quickly because the left foot is ready while the right foot is busy with the accelerator pedal. While there are different schools of thought on whether this is appropriate for highway driving it may not be a good idea for the average driver.

Our son has an "L" licence and is currently taking a course with a professional driving school. Our Question - is it illegal in BC for him - with his Learner's Licence - to practice on our own private land, providing he does go near the sidewalk or road outside our property line?

If you insist on "do it yourself" when your teen needs a driving instructor, be prepared to do the job right. After all, safe driving is a life skill well worth learning properly from the beginning. Your teen trusts you, but are you really prepared to do a comprehensive job as a teacher?

Young Drivers of Canada and State Farm Insurance have created an interactive video test of your driving skills. You are required to observe a developing driving situation, assess it's level of risk and identify the specific risk by clicking on the video itself.

This video is produced by the Michelin Tire people and illustrates four topics: shorter stopping distances with winter tires, control difficulties with mis-matched tires, braking with and without ABS and steering while braking with and without ABS. All of this is conducted on snow covered ground.