Daytime running lights

I have been noticing recently that more and more drivers are not turning out their full lighting systems during the dawn to dusk period of the day. They are turning on their parking lights, and dashboard lights; but not turning on their rear lights.

This means that they can see the road and their dashboard, but I can't see them from behind. And so a few times I have been surprised by their car just appearing in front of me. Why are they not turning on their rear lights?

 There are some drivers who after you find them and flash your high beams will turn on their rear lights, but most just drive on.

I wish that so much of a car was more automatic, and more out of the control of the person driving it. Here are some ideas for automakers:

• Cell phones should be disabled while the car is in motion. 
• Black boxes should be in every car and truck - easy access for cops after an accident to find fault. and should record everything fro speed, signals, lights, if a cell phone was touched or used. 
• booster seats for those less than 5 feet 5 inches tall.
• snow tires for November through till may

Here is another idea for our government to start doing.

Every driver should have to take a written test every 5 years. - Driving is NOT A RIGHT, but a privilege!
Professional Driver already have to take a test every 5 years... why not force every driver to?

This will create jobs and help to ensure that drivers are keeping up with the new and old rules of the road. That we as drivers are dependent on those around us to make to where we are going safely.

I really want to come home each day safely. But more and more people are making that a HUGE challenge.

I really need a break.

Its summer and I really need a break from all the crazy drivers out there playing chicken with their lives and mine.

So I am on vacation and going camping. Not too far from home, and just for a few days.

Post: The camping trip was the perfect get-away for me and the girls.

My sister's cross country trip

My sister, after 6 years of living in Calgary, Alberta has come to a close and now she is packed up and driving home to Toronto, Ontario.

First off, I am not a fan of my sister driving alone home, even with two dogs in the back seat. I was really hoping that she would have asked my Mom to come with her, but my sister has her own mind, and well that's it.

So needless to say we are tracking her progress and praying that she comes home safe with no horror stories. I am sure that she is prepared for the trip and has done all she can to avoid the auto related disasters, but still the family worries.

There is a huge difference between how I would make the trip as a man in a commercial truck. I would have taken 3 days to drive the 3,500 kilometers. She is taking 7 days and going through the USA and making stops along the way as she and the dogs seem fit. But she doesn't really drive that far and that long like I have gotten used to, and well that's good.

Pray for safety, pray for endurance, and pray for wisdom as she drives.

My Uncle's story

I meet my Uncle at a funeral service this past weekend for another Uncle. He knows I am a professional driver and he asked me a question:

Can the driver of a Freight liner Columbia see me over his grill? My uncle was driving a 2door Hyundai.

Seems that they were stopped at a traffic light.  The trucker stopped too close and my Uncle's car vanished. The trucker was aware of my uncle's car, but again was too close and when the trucker looked up and saw the light was green let off the gas and the automatic truck moved forward enough to "kiss" my uncle's bumper.

Yes, the trucker was at fault, my uncle is safe and his bumper has some marks on it; but its cosmetic damage and he and the car will be Ok. The truck was not injured. The trucker was embarrassed and very sorry about what he did.

This story helps to underline that a truck has a very limited field of vision. So here are some rules of thumb.

1. If you don't see the driver in the mirror from behind, he can't see you.
2. If you don't see the driver through the windshield he can't see you.
3. If a trucker has their signals on and needs to come into your lane, either pass him or flash your lights to tell him that its OK to come into your lane.
4. Give trucks lots of space to move. They really don't want to come into contact with you or your car.
5. Truck don't have crumple zones like your car does. Trucks are covered with a very thin skin which only helps move the air around the truck and decrease fuel consumption.
6. Never pick a battle with a truck. You will lose.

Be safe, and give trucks lot of room.

Observations while driving in Toronto & The GTA.

After driving this streets and highways in and around the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) which is Niagara, London, Barrie, Kingston region of Southern Ontario I have some news on what I have seen these past ten years.

1. Passing on 400 series of highways is always done on the RIGHT hand lane. The left hand lane is reserved for those who are self described "I am too important to share the road or am too busy to think about how my driving skills are lacking."

2. There is zero difference between a person using a cellphone and a drunk while driving. These drivers don't signal, don't keep their speed or lane, don't see other drivers, and do cause accidents. Using a cell phone even hands free is not safe. Turn the cell off. Also you can't txt while stopped at a red light its still a ticket. The only time you can be texting while in the car is either while parked off the road, or while a passenger.

3.  Drivers enjoy the thrill and challenge of going from the far left lane into the off ramp at the last possible second while causes everybody behind them to slam on the brakes and cause a possible crash.

4. Fender benders block lanes. If you bump into another car then just pull over into the curb lane and then swap insurance etc. Stop blocking the live lane and causing a more dangerous situation. In some states its illegal to block a live lane if the cars involved can be driven off the road.

5. Trucks and other heavy equipment is NOT the cause of how slow the traffic is going. Truckers want to go as fast as possible in a safest possible way. We are professionals and though we all have our bad days, we are out here in traffic more than you are.

6.Speed limiters on Truck only causes more slow moving traffic and blocked lanes. Our provincial governments. Decided to limit trucks to 105kph. None of those politicians were or have ever driven a truck before. The end result is that trucks in an effort to pass other slower moving trucks are blocking our roads and making all traffic move slower. This might be a good result as speed kills.

7. Driver testing: All G class drivers once they have passed their final test are not tested again till they are 80. This needs to change. Did you know that all professional drivers Class A-F are tested every 5 years? These driver need to pass written and practical tests to keep their licence. We should start to pressure the government to force G class drivers to at least take a written test every 5 years. How often have you come to a set of lights and been confused about the signals? Do you really know what that sign means? Do you know how to safely navigate a "round a bout"?

There is so much a driver needs to learn and keep learning about the roads they are driving. Driving is VERY dangerous. Its a contact sport where we try not to hit each other, but when we do we can kill each other.

Driving is not for the faint of heart, the overly cautious or overly confident. Every day I am reminded how dangerous my job is.

We should be warned.

I had an idea when driving back from my wife's Aunts cottage....

We need to create a system where by if the person driving in front of you is doing a speed which is less or more than the posted speed limit it would flash up on the rear window.

We could have these messages:
+ 30 kph "I have a death wish and am going to take somebody out"
+ 20 kph "I am late and need to get there..."
+10 kph "I know this road, and know you are behind me."
0 kph "I know what I am doing, but need some space to drive safely."
-10 kph "I am just wondering around and not really thinking about what I am doing."
-20 kph "I am scared of driving and you should really be at home or riding in a cab."
-30 kph "I am either drunk, texting, yelling into my phone, or too scared. Please call the police"
-40 kph "Please push me off the road and call the Police"

I was thinking about this as driving along a road where the tire tracks were on bare asphlate and the person ahead of me was doing -30 around the corners and then speeding up to -20 on the straight parts and I was becoming annoyed with them and knew I would be safe at +10 driving. So the person cost me an extra 30min on my drive, and about $5.00 in fuel. Though I was safe and got home.

I did pass by about 4 wrecks in the ditch. But there were all single car accidents.

I really can't see you!

I guess with the nights becoming longer and there is more darkness in our work days, I have been noticing or rather not seeing people on/in/by the road as I drive around Toronto and Area. People wearing the tradition BLACK clothing walking where cars even with their headlights on can't see you...

Why Oh Why are you hiding and trying to kill yourself?

People don't seem to understand that dressing in BLACK or dark colours makes you very hard to see at night and in the glare of wet roads?

Can you see the bike?
This is the view from my Truck's window. The biker was riding beside me and pulled up to the car in front of me. There is nothing reflective on his bike. I could barely see him.

Cars and trucks have LIGHTS so that they can been seen.... Bikes are required to have the same during night riding... by law he should get a ticket.

The worst is I could have bumped into him and killed him.... I could not see him until it was too late.

The gov.uk.com site had a great idea.... riders must wear reflective clothing while on the road.

People walking should also ALWAYS wear something reflective when outside.... I really do want to see you.

Yet this evening as I was driving around, I saw about 2 people wearing reflective vests.... so there is hope.