You may be able to disregard the rules in the Motor Vehicle Act and survive, but flouting the laws of physics when you drive will eventually result in a collision. I spent a decade dealing with concepts like perception - reaction time, coefficients of friction and maximum acceleration when I did a forensic examination of a collision scene. This gave me some insight into what you can and can't do as a driver and the need to never put yourself in a position when your vehicle tried to ask more of the laws of physics than they would allow.
This video shows at least three drivers in the right hand lane who fail to slow down and move over for a service truck showing flashing yellow lights working on a breakdown at the roadside. There was at least 20 seconds of lead time to recognize the situation and react to it before passing the stopped vehicles. Space did exist in the left hand lane to move over into as traffic was light at the time.
I first wrote about drivers whose behaviour in the "no zone" around heavy trucks left much to be desired back in 2004. Little seems to have changed since then as when I listen to the trucking radio channels the most common complaint involves drivers who jam themselves in front of a truck and then slow down. There are many possible outcomes to this scenario when it goes wrong; the trucker is able to swerve out of the way and nothing happens, the trucker swerves out of the way and harms themselves or perhaps the trucker chooses to maintain course and harms the foolish driver.
This video of a multiple vehicle collision was contributed by the driver in the middle. He was stopped waiting to turn left with his wheels turned to the left in anticipation. The driver of pickup following behind apparently fails to notice the left turn driver slow and stop in front of him, resulting in the first collision. The second collision results because the left turn driver has failed to keep his wheels pointed straight ahead while he waited for oncoming traffic to clear. Being hit from behind pushed the vehicle into the path of an oncoming truck resulting in a second collision.
Imagine making a lane change and crashing into a fully marked police vehicle stopped at the side of the highway with all of its emergency lights operating. I can only guess that the driver was not properly scanning his environment and looking far enough ahead to anticipate issues before they happen. It might also be time to consider offsetting the police vehicle to the right rather than the left when working on the freeway.
I'm a semi truck driver and I've been cut off so many times by passenger vehicles racing around me to take an off ramp. They pull in front and hit their brakes. It's been close a couple times to the point I'm going to buy a dashcam to protect myself.
I'm sure that you have heard by now that the BC government has announced penalty points to go with a violation ticket for talking on a handheld device while driving. This new penalty, which also covers infractions like watching a DVD, programming a phone’s GPS, and operating hand-held audio players, is being combined with the $167 fine already in place and is now consistent with the three points and $167 fine currently given to drivers for texting.
A serious single vehicle collision occurred in the Shawnigan Lake Area on September 1st. Four 19 year olds were hurt, two critically, after the driver spilled an iced cappuccino on herself and subsequently lost control of her vehicle. She struck the right curb, overcorrected and crossed the highway, rolling down an embankment and coming to rest against some trees.
You may be able to disregard the rules in the Motor Vehicle Act and survive, but flouting the laws of physics when you drive will eventually result in a collision. I spent a decade dealing with concepts like perception - reaction time, coefficients of friction and maximum acceleration when I did a forensic examination of a collision scene. This gave me some insight into what you can and can't do as a driver and the need to never put yourself in a position when your vehicle tried to ask more of the laws of physics than they would allow.
Imagine making a lane change and crashing into a fully marked police vehicle stopped at the side of the highway with all of its emergency lights operating. I can only guess that the driver was not properly scanning his environment and looking far enough ahead to anticipate issues before they happen. It might also be time to consider offsetting the police vehicle to the right rather than the left when working on the freeway.
I'm a semi truck driver and I've been cut off so many times by passenger vehicles racing around me to take an off ramp. They pull in front and hit their brakes. It's been close a couple times to the point I'm going to buy a dashcam to protect myself.
I'm sure that you have heard by now that the BC government has announced penalty points to go with a violation ticket for talking on a handheld device while driving. This new penalty, which also covers infractions like watching a DVD, programming a phone’s GPS, and operating hand-held audio players, is being combined with the $167 fine already in place and is now consistent with the three points and $167 fine currently given to drivers for texting.
A serious single vehicle collision occurred in the Shawnigan Lake Area on September 1st. Four 19 year olds were hurt, two critically, after the driver spilled an iced cappuccino on herself and subsequently lost control of her vehicle. She struck the right curb, overcorrected and crossed the highway, rolling down an embankment and coming to rest against some trees.