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.

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.