Speed

Information related to vehicle speed and speeding.

Visual Speed Estimates

BC Courts Coat of ArmsThis case is an appeal of a traffic court conviction where the officer who issued the ticket used a visual observation of vehicle speed to base the ticket on. The estimation was 90 km/h in the posted 60 km/h zone on the Lougheed Highway near the North Road intersection.

Road Safety - May 2025

image of road safety signMay 2025 is a busy month for road safety campaigns in British Columbia. ICBC is holding a speeding campaign and the BC Association of Chiefs of Police are running motorcycle safety and high risk driving campaigns.

Wet Weather Driving

image of wet weather drivingWelcome to wet weather season in British Columbia! Some areas are blessed with this situation more often than others, but drivers need to be aware of the perils of wet highways. The well being of you and other road users depend on it.

Laser Speed Measurement Accuracy

BC Courts Coat of ArmsMy highway patrol unit was issued its first laser speed measuring device back in the early 1990s. It was a popular tool to use because of both it's accuracy in targeting a specific vehicle and the measurement of that vehicle's speed. Case law regarding the use of the instrument developed over time in court the same way that it did with radar when that was introduced.

Inactive Construction Speed Zone

image of sign for construction speed zone I am occasionally asked why construction speed zone is in effect when there is no work being carried out at the time. The standard response from government is that hazardous situations may exist and the reduced speed is necessary to be safe. Examples given are parked equipment, uneven pavement at the edges of lanes and no shoulder.

The Keep Right Attitude

SoapboxThe left lane is so popular lately that when I keep right I often find myself behind fewer vehicles at the next red traffic light. In fact, at one particular intersection on my commute many times I can be first in line. Everyone else seems stuck in the left lane trying to get ahead, fuming, following too closely and making sudden lane changes.