Yielding on left turns

Behind the Wheel –

It’s always dangerous when you turn left in an intersection. You have to cross over opposing lanes of traffic which leaves you vulnerable in a crash. It also exposes you to drivers who would never think that they might have to yield and let you turn left. [Read more]

Sunday, missing time to cause 23-hour day

It’s time to change the clocks again this weekend – forward, this time – and since we are likely going to lose some snooze, we may be shuffling around in a bit of a daze for the next week or so. This could mean that we are not quite as alert as usual when we get behind the wheel of a vehicle and there are crash stats to prove it. According to averages in a five-year study (2005-2009) done by ICBC, on the Monday following the springtime change, there were 850 crash incidents, compared to 690 incidents the Monday of the week before, a 23% increase. [Read more]

Care and control of a motor vehicle while impaired

Behind the Wheel –

It’s been a surprise to many people over the years, but you don’t have to be actually driving a motor vehicle when your ability to drive is impaired by alcohol or a drug to be convicted of that offence. Simply being able to set the vehicle in motion, engine running or not, may be enough for a conviction because you have care and control of the motor vehicle while you are impaired. If you are impaired, the best advice that I can give in most cases is to stay out of motor vehicles. [Read more]

Turning left? — stick to your own lane

Behind the Wheel –

Making a left turn at an intersection.

This column is dedicated to the middle aged male driver who turned left in the intersection and completed the turn half way into my lane as I approached him and half way into the lane that he was supposed to be using. Was he being inattentive, careless or did he not know any better? [Read more]

Using your rear-view mirrors

Behind the Wheel –

Mirror, signal, shoulder check, change is the chant that we all know to follow for a successful lane change. We also use our rearview mirrors to give us a better view than our eyes alone when we are backing up. Is this all that mirrors are used for and are these the only times that we use them? [Read more]

Setting credible speed limits

Behind the Wheel –

Without doubt, the laws that drivers fail to follow the most often must regard the speed limit. Everyone has a justification for doing so. They range from being in a hurry, which is selfish, to the limit is set too low which is either a reasonable observation or a result of failing to take all factors into consideration. [Read more]

Overdriving low-beam headlights (part 2)

Behind the Wheel –

Last week’s column on overdriving low beam headlights resulted in some interesting comments. Chief among them was the thought that this wasn’t a problem because the driver had installed high wattage bulbs and now had more light to see with. Do you suppose that these drivers don’t know this is a bad practice or just don’t care about themselves and others who use the highway? [Read more]

Cell phones and driving — Motor Vehicle Act changes take effect

Grace period over, cellphone fines start Monday.

Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

Starting Monday, February 1, fully licensed drivers caught talking on a hand-held phone or electronic device will face a $167 fine, while those found texting or emailing will also net three penalty points, Solicitor General Kash Heed reminded British Columbians today.

“Police have been stopping drivers throughout January to give them warnings about talking on a cellphone, and people seem to be getting the message and changing their behaviour,” said Heed. [Read more]

Overdriving low-beam headlights

Behind the Wheel –

Have you ever given any thought to how far you can see at night as you are driving along down the highway? High beam headlights seem to overpower the dark, but there are a lot of situations where we are limited to using just the low beams. I was required to calculate the safe speed using only low beam headlights at a seminar and I was surprised at the result. [Read more]

Making your cell phone hands free

As the grace period comes to an end at the end of the month, British Columbia drivers are reminded of the new law coming into effect February 1, 2010, banning cell-phone use while driving a vehicle. The province, ICBC and the police are advising drivers to drive smartly. Full attention is needed when you are behind the wheel and studies have shown that drivers lose about 50% of their concentration when using the device, not noticing what’s happening on the road, and increasing the risk of accidents by up to four times. [Read more]