You have questions, Steve has answers
By Steve Wallace
Times Colonist, January 19th 2018
Victoria police and ICBC staff conduct a distracted-driving check on Douglas Street. A recent study found about 11 jper cent of drivers in the U.S. drive while using handheld electronic devices.
At our last driving school convention, a policeman reported the illegal use of the handheld cellphone is about 11 per cent in the U.S.
There are no equivalent statistics for Canada that I am aware of, but we do follow trends from south of the border.
If there are pertinent stats for any Canadian provinces or national information, send them my way.
Why is the B.C. learner’s theory test so difficult?
Ohio wants to use simulators during the qualification test for a learner’s driving licence.
State officials believe it will be a better way of determining the driving aptitude of those wishing to qualify for an original driving privilege.
The B.C. theory test is made up of 50 questions. A candidate must answer at least 40 questions correctly to qualify for the original restricted licence.
The questions are difficult for those who have not done the proper preparation.
There are translation services offered to those who are functionally illiterate, but the problems of earphones and in-person translators are numerous.
The whole process can be quite intimidating for newcomers to our country and Canadian citizens with learning disabilities.
Ohio might be able to pilot a process for which we can all be grateful.
The test is difficult indeed.
The most common cause of accidental death in our country is in a motor vehicle.
A fairer system may be in order, but lowering the standards of qualification should be out of the question.
Why can’t a co-pilot, parent or driving instructor observe the driving test from the back seat of the vehicle?
This question came from a U.K. citizen, transferring to our jurisdiction.
It is common practice for a professional driving instructor to observe a student’s practical test in some European countries.
There is no province in Canada that allows this practice.
Driving examiners in B.C. are ride-checked by a supervisor on a regular basis.
The average fulltime examiner in B.C. does about 40 practical driving tests each week.
They are generally very good at it.
A rider in the back seat would not only very likely validate the result, but also experience some very scary situations not appreciated by the faint of heart.
There are legal liability concerns as well.
Speaking tongue in cheek, it might be an additional revenue-source opportunity!
Does marijuana affect the intelligence of a teen driver?
The teen brain does not recover the reduction of eight to 10 points of IQ when the drug is used frequently.
The young developing brain is much more susceptible to the adverse effects of marijuana.
An expert at the most recent driving convention in New Mexico told us one in 10 adult frequent users of the drug become addicted, with no noticeable reduction in IQ.
The figure is one in six for teens. The jury is still out on the ramifications of legalization of marijuana.
Stay tuned!
The next regional convention is in April, and there will likely be more current information forthcoming.
Why don’t they make every umbrella transparent?
This question came from a driver who was sick and tired of making allowance for pedestrians walking blindly, in a suicidal fashion, in front of his vehicle at controlled and uncontrolled intersections.
Sounds like a good marketing-advertising opportunity.
Why doesn’t the traffic authority put up a sign at one-way intersections, explaining the legality of making a left turn on a solid red light?
This would ease traffic congestion. Given that the driver stops and there is no conflict with pedestrians and other vehicular traffic, it is a legal move.
There seem to be numerous signs preventing actions, why not one permitting a legal manoeuvre?
