Information related to cycling.
Here's an new angle on a continual problem, that of other road users failing to yield to emergency vehicles. Most of the time this question is asked about cars and trucks, but this fire department official asks the question about a different subset of traffic, cyclists.
This case is a small claims action for damages to the open driver's door of a parked pickup truck when it was hit by a passing cyclist. The case was not decided in favour of the pickup owner.
Question: I cycle along a rural road near Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The road I am talking about has a 60 km/h speed limit and a marked one metre wide shoulder on each side. On garbage pickup days some people place their residential bins on the shoulder. When that occurs cyclists are forced to move over into the roadway. Is this practice allowed?
Question: I have been driving home on Rupert Street in Vancouver lately and there are some lane markings I am not clear about. Between 12th Avenue and about Kingsway there is a narrow right hand lane that has a bicycle and a white diamond, there is no other signage. Are motorcycles allowed to use this lane because they regularly do.
This case arises from a car vs bicycle collision on 116 Street in North Delta at the onset of night. Manjit Dhaliwal and a friend were cycling northbound on 116 Street between 94 and 96 Avenues. Neither bicycle was equipped with a light. Sonia Kakkar was backing out of her driveway, did not see the cyclists and collided with Ms. Dhaliwal.
Imagine the surprise of the motorist at a collision I once investigated. He parked at the side of the road, opened his door, and a passing car tried to tear it off! It's a good thing he didn't step out while he opened the door.
Terrence Wojtkiw was issued a violation ticket for three Motor Vehicle Act offences while riding a TAG 500 electric scooter equipped with pedals. He had modified this motor assisted cycle (MAC) so that it no longer qualified for exemptions under the Motor Vehicle Act. He disputed the ticket.
Question: I would really like to see advice for cycling on narrow, twisty roads. We do a lot of biking with a small group on roads in the Okanagan and are sometimes unsure what’s best and safest.
A conversation that I had this week highlights a dangerous situation that is well worth discussing, vehicles making right turns across cycle lanes. Drivers may not understand the duties required of them as many of us are only starting to experience driving alongside cycle lanes.
The DriveSmartBC inbox has received a number of complaints about bike riders this summer. If the complaint is made by a pedestrian, they are worried about being hurt by errant cyclists. If they are motorists, they are worried about hurting the cyclists.