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.

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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.

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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?

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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?

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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.

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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?

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Ban on cell phone use while driving takes 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.

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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.

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Sharing the road with Goliath

Behind the Wheel –

The trucker’s top five concerns.

I asked a couple of transport truck drivers what bothered them about the drivers of small vehicles. We had a lively half hour discussion from which I gathered their top five concerns. Each of them could have serious consequences for everyone on the highway.

The first two concern sudden reductions in speed. The small vehicle driver will either pass the transport truck, pull in suddenly, and then slow down, or just slow suddenly without taking note of the truck behind. When you consider that a fully loaded truck with all the air brakes properly adjusted has only 50 to 65% of a small vehicles braking efficiency, you can guess how dangerous this move could be.

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Check your driving knowledge

Behind the Wheel –

Update your driving skills and knowledge.

How long has it been since you read the manual that new drivers study to prepare for their first driver’s license? Why bother you say? You’ve been driving for years and know it all. I wish I could say that!

Let’s start with a visit to ICBC’s web site and give the practice knowledge test a try. 25 questions shouldn’t take you too long, after all, you are an experienced driver. Getting all the answers correct first try should be simple. Hmm…

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