Let's talk about DRIVING!

21:30 hrs.
24 Sep 14

    My friend who lives on the Other Side of the Hump is always quick to point out the driving is a privilege and not a right. In this, he is very much correct. I really don't know what the problem is here in the Valley but when it comes to driving I am positive that we have more than our fair share of buttheads.

     I know that some years ago the Province of BC went to the graduated licencing system whereby young drivers must go through an L or learners phase followed by the N for novice which leads to an A for asshole.

     I never went through a graduated drivers licence. I was taught by my parents. I wrote my learners exam and I took the road test twice (I failed the first time). Maybe it was all the driver training courses I took in the military. Winter driving, flightline operations driving,  specialized vehicles, air brakes and, most importantly, Safe Backing.

     Safe backing rules:
    1) Walk around your vehicle. Observe and remove any obstacles that you may come in contact with.
    2) Ensure that your mirrors are correctly positioned to allow you to see behind you. In a congested area, employ a ground guide for added safety.
    3) Sound your horn to alert people that you are backing up.
    4) When reversing, a driver does not have to be belted allowing him to conduct proper shoulder checks.

    Sounds simple doesn't it. Well, the one thing they don't teach is fact that people moving in reverse have limited vision. So if you are driving through a parking lot and you see a vehicle in reverse do not try to squeeze past him!  Common sense? Sure is. If you know where you can buy some (common sense) please let me know because I could easily distribute piss pot full of it around this Valley. Go to any mall parking lot and you'll see all sorts of morons. Its crazy.

     Another major driving issue here in the Valley is the increasing number of senior drivers who have a whole host of issues ranging from poor eyesight to slow reflexes and even worse is their habitual complacency for poor driving habits.

     Is more frequent testing the answer?

     Road signs are of an interest too. Naturally, some signs are international such as top signs. Some will vary from province to province. If you ever watch Canada's Worst Driver (a perennial favourite at the WAYWARD INN) you will notice that thete will be a difference in the meaning of the road signs the "contestants" are quized on and what you may think the meaning is. This is because the show is filmed in Ontario and you may live else where. To be fair to the "contestants" they are given an Ontario Drivers Handbook and in that way they can all be on the same page.

     Last night I was coming home from a meeting when I spotted a new sign. Now I've driven this road many times and I must confess that I am not perfect whrn it comes to observing everything on the road. Oh the big things stand out but some road signs tend to slip into the background. Especially when you see them everyday. And yes, complacency kills. So, I was on Dyke Road travelling towards Comox from Courtenay.  I'm just going past the Gas n Go when I spotted a small rectangular placard that read "Entering K'omoks First Nation". Not even a klick down the road, as you climb the hill into Comox, there is anothet small rectangular placard that reads "Leaving K'omoks First Nation". I don't know how long they've been there but I would certainly like to know.