Driver Training

Are you a new driver looking for formal training, an older driver facing an Enhanced Road Assessment or simply one of those rare people who wish to improve their driving skills? Here are a few tips on how to choose the driving school that is right for you.

This video is from the FortNine channel on YouTube. It explains that there are three ways to position your body in relation to  your motorcycle when you are making a turn: lean, counter-lean and neutral. The video explains why learning to counter-lean your motorcycle is the best choice for highway riding.

"You don't care about safety! All you guys want to do is suck money out of my pocket!" Here was a speeder that was very definite in his opinion and not afraid to state it. He was wrong, I did care about safety, but my traffic cop toolbox didn't contain many officially sanctioned options for dealing with it.

ICBC has introduced a new Street Sense driver training simulation. According to ICBC's description, Street Sense is a state-of-the-art hazard perception training application that helps you identify common hazards that can be easily missed when you're on the road.

September 1, 2021 saw the implementation of a new website location and design for ICBC's driver training information. Of interest on the new site is information on teaching the new Class 1 driver Mandatory Entry Level Training known as MELT. There are already a number of driving schools that are offering MELT training and they can be found here.

British Columbia has over 620,000 km of resource roads that have been built to access natural resources by industry. They are also used by the general public to take part in recreational activities. They are not maintained to the same standard as public highways, if they are maintained at all. Four wheel drive or ATV type recreational vehicles may be required to use them.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has announced that Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) will be required of applicants for a class 1 driver's licence commencing on October 18. 2021. B.C.’s program will exceed the minimum requirements set by the National Safety Code Standard for entry-level training of Class 1 drivers and will take at least 140 hours to complete.

A new vehicle sold today is equipped with a backup camera to help insure that the driver has as complete a view to the rear as possible to insure safety while backing up. An IIHS study compared the crash rates of cars with and cars without backup cameras. Overall, cars with cameras were 17% less likely to be involved in a police-reported backup crash. Why was the reduction so small?

Commentary driving is a very useful tool for teaching a new driver. It involves narrating their observations, interpretations and intentions about the traffic situation as they drive. This narrative is expected to take place before the fact and gives the instructor or examiner insight into what the driver is seeing (or not seeing) and how they intend to proceed.

I volunteer for Big Brothers / Big Sisters of Canada and have had a little brother from the time he was 5 until now when he recently celebrated 16th birthday and got his L for driving. His Mom being a single parent that works a couple jobs doesn’t have a lot of extra money for driving lessons. I thought I’d help out.