Tim Schewe

Parallel parking tips

"I can't parallel park!" laments a reader.

Don’t just dress to impress — dress to be seen when walking at night

When we use our clothing to say "Look at me!" are we really thinking about how we will appear to other road users when we are pedestrians after dark? The right choice of dress prior to your next walk in the dark could be critical!

Be prepared to drive on wet roads

Are you prepared to drive on wet roads after our dry summer? It's time to shift mental gears and be ready for another season of less than ideal driving conditions. Many drivers try to blame their crashes on the weather, but a more truthful answer might be that the reason for the crash is failing to take the weather into account.

Find the answers to common questions in the Motor Vehicle Act

Part Three of the Motor Vehicle Act contains the driving rules like speeding, stopping at stop signs and which side of the road to drive on. There are exemptions, and Industrial Health and Safety Regulations can play a role.

Always be ready to produce your driver’s licence

If we drive a motor vehicle on a highway, we must carry our driver's licence with us at all times and produce it on the demand of a police officer. We must also allow the officer to take it in hand and examine it. There is no 24-hour grace period to produce it at your convenience, contrary to what many people commonly think.

Good samaritans protected by law in B.C.

The Good Samaritan Act protects a lay person who is providing emergency aid to injured people at an accident scene. However, before you jump in to help at the next collision, remember that unless you have first aid training and know what to do, it is best to do the least necessary to preserve life and prevent worsening of the injury.

Children are heading to school soon — slow down to keep them safe

This article may be one of many that you read over the next week or so reminding you that our children will soon be on their way to school again. They will remind you that school zones will be in effect, school crossing guards must be obeyed and that caution around stopped school buses is required.

What can we do about boom boxes?

A reader asks to be enlightened on how to deal with noise coming from boom boxes.

Clarifying bike lanes

Bicycles using the bike lane may pass with caution on the right of traffic in the lane to their left. This is because they are in a multiple-lane situation where there is an unobstructed lane on the right of overtaken traffic that the cyclist is permitted to use.

Can speeding ticket be disputed?

The law says that a municipality may regulate speed by enacting a bylaw and placing signs to limit the speeds of vehicles on municipal streets. The courts will accept estimates of speed from both police officers and the general public where the witness is credible and has knowledge and experience that would allow them to guage speed.

The surest way to avoid costs related to collisions is to not have them in the first place

About 80 per cent of the premiums that ICBC collects each year are paid out again to settle collision claims. If you are like me, we pay just over $500 per year for our basic insurance.

That means we have paid at least $400 per year directly out of our pockets for collisions whether we were in one or not!

Wait patiently when you see a slow-moving funeral procession

This is a column on etiquette and consideration for others that has little to do with safety and everything to do with respect. I was asked to write on the subject of funeral processions by the friend of a family whose members were upset at the lack of thought shown by other drivers entering and leaving the procession to the cemetery.

Passing on the right is prohibited in B.C.

I hope that an article about passing on the right might help at least some drivers understand the rules and help improve the driving community.

An employee safe driving policy is a good idea

Anyone who employs a driver, large business or small, should have a safe driving policy in effect, which employees must signify that they are aware of and are expected to adhere to at all times while operating a business vehicle, whether for work purposes or not.

How do we know if we’re wearing our seat belt properly?

We all know that the law requires that we wear our seat belts when driving. The Motor Vehicle Act says in part "... wear the complete seat belt assembly in a properly adjusted and securely fastened manner."

Speed kills, or does it?

Speed alone doesn't kill, but combine it with poor driving skills or a bad decision, and it definitely makes a bad situation worse.

Turning left is complicated

How much time do you have to look, decide and then execute a left turn in heavy traffic? If you cannot "check your six" quickly and confidently, it's time to wait for certainty.

Drivers are responsible for passing cyclists safely

Cyclists are entitled to their share of the highway, just as motor vehicle drivers are. When they are overtaken by a motor vehicle, it is the driver's responsibility to pass the cyclist safely.

National Road Safety Week highlights the bloody reality of traffic collisions

Welcome to Day Two of Canada's National Road Safety Week. Did you also know that we are about half way through the BC Provincial High Risk Driving Campaign? It's also the Year of Road Safety and the Decade of Action for Road Safety.

Special trailer tires won’t get you in trouble with the law

Special trailer tires appear to be the best choice for trailers — and you won't run into trouble from the law.