Here is a review of the most recent correspondence received from readers, which can be most accurately summed up by a question: What bugs them?
Many drivers forget to turn on their headlights when it begins to get dark. The tail lights are not illuminated. Drivers following are听less likely to see the vehicle from a distance and are likely to tailgate.
Why do people forget to turn on their headlights? Some people drive more than one vehicle, and the newer cars and trucks have an automatic headlight function. When people drive their older-model vehicle, they forget to manually activate the headlights. Regardless of the reason for no tail lights being lit up, it bugs the rest of us.
Many drivers will not attempt a left turn onto a one-way street from a solid red traffic light. This is a legal manoeuvre, when there are no pedestrians or vehicles approaching from the one-way direction. Of course, drivers doing this type of turn must first stop and assess the traffic conditions from all directions before proceeding. It is very frustrating to be following an ill-informed driver, who is holding up traffic by not executing such a simple turn onto a one-way street. Several readers are bugged by the听frozen few.
Left-turners who refuse to enter the intersection, but rather hold back and gun it on the amber traffic light, cause us all concern for safety at intersections. Drivers should occupy the intersection, while waiting for oncoming traffic to clear, before making a left turn. It is important to ensure all multi-lane oncoming traffic has stopped prior to turning left from the centre of the intersection. By not entering the intersection, these same drivers might not be aware of a red-traffic-light-runner in an outside oncoming lane. This is particularly frustrating when there is no advance green flashing arrow at the intersection. Being delayed bugs us all.
Many drivers do not pull far enough ahead to activate the magnetic looping devices at signalized intersections. These magnets can often be identified by the circular, diamond or rectangular tar cut-out telltale markings immediately before the painted crosswalk solid lines. When drivers pull far enough forward and stop directly over these markings, the traffic light receives a message to change the cycle in favour of the stopped driver. At many intersections, the traffic light will never change from red to green if the magnets are not triggered. Everyone gets bugged by having to wait unnecessarily at intersections.
Many drivers were bugged by others who refuse to move right and allow them to pass. The law on most highways is very clear. One must travel in the right lane, when more than one lane going in the same direction is available. Drivers must only occupy a left lane to pass others.
The police are bugged by unaware drivers who do not move to a left lane of a multi-lane highway when the police have someone pulled over and are engaged at the side of the road.
The law is very clear. Drivers must leave a complete lane vacant between themselves and the police on these multi-lane roads. Furthermore, drivers cannot exceed 70听kilometres per hour on a highway posted at 80 km/h or more, and can go no more than 40听km/h on roads where the posted speed is 70 km/h or less on a two-lane opposite-direction road if emergency vehicles are on the side of the road.
High bumpers on jacked-up pickup trucks, counter-intuitive two-way bike lanes on a one-way street, mobility scooters on streets, skateboards on sidewalks and questions about which modes of transportation are allowed in a bike lane were mentioned by readers. Cannon fodder for another day.
What bugs you?
听
Steve Wallace is the owner of Wallace Driving School on 91原创 Island. He is a former vice-president of the Driving Schools Association of the Americas, a registered B.C. teacher and a University of Manitoba graduate.
