Information related to driver's licences.
Obtaining a motorcycle endorsement (class 6) on your drivers’ licence is essentially the same as getting any other licence, but it is a bit more complicated than getting an endorsement to drive a car (class 5) in part because operating a motorcycle is more complicated than operating a car, and the consequences of making a mistake are usually higher.
Question: My 89 year old father voluntarily restricted his driver's license after an at fault single vehicle accident 5 years ago. He is now limited to local driving only. While recently vacationing in Washington State he asked “can I drive here?” I wasn’t sure as lives in Lillooet B.C.
I often hear comments that a friend or family member should not be driving. This person is usually either an older driver or a person suffering from health issues known to the person making the comment.
Question: Why is there such a discrepancy in price for a medical exam for people turning 80 years old? My doctor quoted $80 before he retired and when I went to a walk in clinic to get the test recently it was $200. That seems quite unfair to me.
Sometimes I think that our system is designed to keep us in the driver's seat. Even in an urban area, you need a vehicle to get around with convenience. Bend a few vehicles? Pay ICBC a (relatively) few dollars more and they take care of the big bills. Can't or won't follow the driving rules? Pay for a few penalty points and don't worry, you have to get a lot of tickets before they take your licence away. Had your licence taken away? Probably not for very long, even if you killed someone.
One of the blessings of running this web site are the "conversations" that I have with the people who find me through my writing. Sometimes they share some very personal views with me and occasionally allow me to share it here. This is one of those stories.
Mira McEachern was a novice driver on September 17, 2016 when she was issued a traffic ticket for using an electronic device while driving. She was convicted of that offence (records do not indicate if it was because she paid the fine or was not successful in a traffic court dispute). Shortly after the conviction RoadSafetyBC notified her of a pending prohibition of 3 months due only to that conviction.
Rogan Lovse is a novice driver with a history of two speeding tickets and a two month driving prohibition brought on by those tickets. On receiving a third ticket for speeding, the Superintendent sent him a notice of intention to prohibit him from driving for five months.
Asking for people to send me their thoughts at the end of last week's article resulted in one of the largest responses I've ever received. Ultimately, the overwhelming choice of advice was to report the offending driver to ICBC and the police. Fewer people were willing to shrug their shoulders and carry on with life while two offered emotional support.
This is a short story about things that go bump in the parking lot. The outcome could have been a lot simpler with a bit of courtesy and the sharing of required information but it didn't happen that way. I wonder what the ultimate cost will be when all is said and done.