The Importance of Obeying Road Signage: March 2014

Friday 28 March 2014

Just some things that you need to know

Pedestrians: habits to improve

Accident reports suggest that pedestrians who were injured or killed on the road network either did not comply with road signs and traffic signals, crossed the street from between two parked cars or were walking with the flow of traffic on the side of the road. It has also been shown that the consequences of accidents for senior pedestrians are often serious or fatal because of their greater physiological vulnerability to impact and injury.

Here are some reminders about the main road safety rules that pedestrians should obey:

Always cross at intersections or other authorized places (where there are appropriate signs, signals and pavement markings);
Obey traffic lights or any pedestrian lights at intersections;
Look left and right before crossing the street;
Use the sidewalk; if there is no sidewalk, walk on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic;
To be seen at night or when it's dark, wear light-coloured garments. Darkness is a pedestrian's enemy – in fact, fall is the time when the highest number of pedestrian deaths occur.

Remember that motorists may have trouble seeing pedestrians because they are blinded by sunlight or the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.

Riding your bike safely

Riding a bike is an excellent way to keep in shape.

Seniors seem to have gotten the message – there has been a sharp increase in the number of cycling enthusiasts.

Bicycle safety starts with obeying the Highway Safety Code and by adopting defensive cycling behaviour. Paying attention to the road environment, ensuring that you can see and be seen by others, anticipating potential danger – all of these elements are very important!

In particular, the Highway Safety Code requires cyclists to:

obey road signs and traffic signals;
travel with the flow of traffic and on the far right-hand side of the road;
signal their intentions using appropriate hand signals;
ride in a single file when in a group;
use bicycle paths or lanes when they are available;
equip their bicycles with mandatory lights and reflectors.

However, the Code prohibits cyclists from:

riding on the sidewalk;
wearing headphones when riding.

Hand signals
Turning left	Stopping or slowing down	Turning right

Wearing a helmet

Cyclists often sustain head injuries when they fall, which is why wearing a helmet is so important.

Helmets are now at a reasonable price.

Use one that is approved by one of the following organizations: CSA, CPSC, ASTM, CEN or SNELL. A helmet with one of these logos is guaranteed to be sturdy and of good quality.

It's not enough just to wear a helmet – for helmets to be effective, they have to be properly adjusted.

Note that helmets are mandatory when riding an electric bicycle.

For both comfort and safety, bicycles should be adjusted for their riders

To check the height, you should stand astride the bicycle above the crossbar with both feet flat on the ground. There should be a clearance of at least 2 cm (0.5 in) between the crotch and crossbar.
The seat should be parallel to the ground. To adjust it correctly, your leg should be completely extended with the heel on the pedal at its lowest point.
Handlebars set at the same level as the seat or slightly lower improve performance when riding into the wind, while handlebars set higher make for greater comfort and safety.

Be extra careful when you are not using bicycle lanes or paths

Watch out for:

vehicles turning right at a red light;
car doors that may open suddenly;
vehicles coming out of driveways;
spaces between parked vehicles;
city and school buses (frequent stops and starts).

Protect your life – use some restraint

Some drivers underestimate the value of the various safety mechanisms that are standard equipment on cars. Used properly, seat belts, headrests and air bags can save your life.

Wearing a seat belt is now the norm for most Quebecers. Indeed, buckling up has become a reflex for most people. Also, using a seat belt in combination with air bags decreases the chances of serious head injuries by 75% in the event of a collision.

In addition, properly adjusted headrests can reduce the risk of whiplash by more than 25%.

It is also important to properly secure all objects in the car, since anything that is not tied down inside the passenger compartment can turn into a projectile that could strike passengers during a collision.

If there is an animal in the car, be sure that it doesn't obstruct the driver's vision or interfere with driving. An unsecured animal can also become a projectile.

Lastly, a tip: to reduce the risk of injuries due to air bags, keep a distance of at least 25 cm (10 inches) between the air bag cover and yourself.

Planning ahead reduces the risk of accidents

As we get older, our visual, mental and motor abilities tend to decrease, thus increasing our accident risk, but there are other practical preventive measures to greatly reduce that risk.

Here are a few tips:

Don't travel during rush hour;
Avoid busy streets;
Avoid driving at night and in bad weather;
Choose when you are going to drive;
Plan long trips and make sure there are rest periods;
Regularly check your vehicle's mechanical condition.

These precautions are easy to take, and they can help you keep your driver's licence for as long as possible.

Lastly, two additional measures are very important:

Do all you can to keep in good mental and physical shape;
Have regular medical check-ups.

Identify any problems in relation to the road environment

Understanding road signs and traffic signals
Driving in heavy traffic
Driving in rain or snow
Driving at night

Estimate your weekly kilometrage

From 1 to 50 km
More than 50 km

How best to educate the public as to the importance of the Slower Traffic Keep Right laws in respect to public safety?(By Jesse Breedlove)

How best to educate the public as to the importance of the Slower Traffic Keep Right laws in respect to public safety?

Slower Traffic Keep Right is the law in most states. Failure to keep right has a negative effect on traffic safety, traffic congestion, emergency response, aggressive driving, air pollution, fuel consumption, direct and indirect medical costs and much more.

There are many traffic safety laws, Slower Traffic Keep Right may be the most important. Not only is it a law, but also a guide on how to maintain order on today’s busy roads and freeways. With an ever increasing amount of vehicles and usually between two and four lanes, this is the only way that motorists of differing speeds can share the road safely and orderly.

If all motorists obeyed the Slower Traffic Keep Right laws at all times there would be a reduction in traffic accidents, traffic fatalities and traffic congestion. Emergency response would also be improved resulting in even more lives being saved.

The main argument against enforcing this law is that it promotes speeding. The fact is that this is not a speed issue, but a safety issue. It is the responsibility of the police to enforce the speeding laws, not other motorists. Motorists that impede the free flow of traffic force faster motorists to pass on the right. Impeding the free flow of traffic is a very dangerous practice and a leading cause of aggressive driving and road rage.

Undisciplined motorists that impede the free flow of traffic through ignorance, inattention, or just being inconsiderate show a disregard for public safety and the normal practice of defensive driving. Driving is a privilege, not a right. Whether you drive fast, slow, or moderate, people that drive slowly in the passing lanes cause a hazard for all of us.

Slower Traffic Keep Right is a basic driving technique.

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Here are some rules of the road(From Driver's Ed Webpage)

The importance of driver education

1/ Understand that the main purpose of driver education is to help you learn the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed for greater safety both as an operator of an automobile and as a pedestrian.

2/ Using the knowledge, skills, and attitudes you learn in driver education lowers your chances of being involved in costly, injurious, and sometimes deadly accidents.

3/ Using the knowledge, skills, and attitudes you learn in driver education also reduces the costs of law enforcement, property replacement, and results in a much more pleasant driving environment.

Driving: A privilege, not a right

1/ Having a driver license is a privilege, not a right. All California residents must have a driver license to operate a vehicle of any kind on a public highway or parking facility.

2/ Driver license and what it means to others. Other drivers and pedestrians will expect that you will follow the laws and rules of the road, be courteous, and will not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or otherwise be impaired while you are driving.

3/ If you are a minor, your parent(s) or guardian(s) are responsible for the financial consequences of your driving. If you have a driver license, they will expect that you will drive safely.

4/ Passengers in your car have put their safety in your hands, and expect that because you have a driver license, you will drive safely.

Common courtesy is a key to traffic safety

1/ The roadway is shared by all drivers. Safely sharing the roadway with other drivers and pedestrians is essential for avoiding accidents.

2/ Courtesy, makes order out of chaos. The traffic laws and rules of the road cannot address all possible driving situations.

If you remember to be courteous, you can help avoid accidents and keep traffic moving in an orderly fashion.

3/ Courtesy, the Golden Rule. The golden rule of driving is to treat other drivers the way you want to be treated. You should obey traffic laws, drive responsibly, and avoid taking unnecessary risks.

Obeying the literal importance of the law

1/ Although it may not seem important to strictly obey everyday laws, it is important to do so.

2/ Importance of everyday laws, stop signs. Why should you stop completely at stop signs? A stop sign means that you stop fully behind the limit line, crosswalk, or at the corner. Most accidents occur at intersections, resulting in millions of dollars of damage, injuries, and deaths. Choosing to stop completely could mean the difference between life and death.

3/ What does yield really mean? Failure to yield the right-of-way to other drivers is one of the top 5 causes of accidents in the U.S. Yield means to let other drivers, pedestrians, and bicycles have the right-of-way before you proceed. Sadly, 1,000s of accidents which could have been avoided are caused each year by drivers failing to yield the right-of-way. Again, simply following the letter of the law could save you a lot of pain and suffering.

Road Safety is for All Ages

Signs and signals: the key to road safety

Whether you are a pedestrian, cyclist or motorist, road signs and traffic signals are essential to ensure your safety. Roadside signs, traffic lights and pavement markings give you information so that you can take the proper precautions.

Road signs

The shape and colour of road signs indicate the type of information that they convey.

Shape
Octagon Stop	Diamond Danger	Triangle Yield right of way
Pentagon School zone	Horizontal rectangle Instruction	Vertical rectangle Obligation or prohibition

Colour
Red stop	Yellow danger	Yellow-Green school zone
Blue private tourist information	Green information	White and Black obligations
Brown public tourist attractions and geographic references	Orange road work

If you don't understand certain signs, you could put yourself in a situation on the road that could lead to an accident. There are a lot of signs in our road environment, so it might be a good idea to refresh your memory as to their meaning and use. To do so, go to the Ministère des Transports Web site atwww.mtqsignalisation.mtq.gouv.qc.ca This link will open a new window.

or consult the Driver's Handbook.

Pay extra attention when you see these signs
Yield	No entry	Two-way traffic
No U-Turns	Start of a school zone	No passing
Advance warning of a school bus stop	People working	Flagperson ahead
	Prepare to stop

Some Examples Of Poor Road Design

Perfect Examples are the intersections of St. Anne and St Mary at the perimeter. They see a high volume of traffic flowing in and out of the City so wouldn’t it be a good idea to build a couple of nice simple bridges over the perimeter with simple intersections on both sides to allow merging on and off of the highway? They don’t need to be fancy and expensive, just simple. But no……it seems every bridge has to be done as a huge clover leaf that apparently takes at least 3 years to build!

Stop at River going East after being able to actually drive unhindered all the way from Waverly. Green light, start diving get up to the 80 kph limit and
Stop at St. Mary at the lights, which turned red just as you were getting close. Green light, start accelerating and getting close to 80 again and ….
Stop at Dakota at the lights, which turned red just as you were getting close. Green light, start accelerating and getting close to 80 again and ….
The same thing at St. Anne! and so on down the stretch till you get to Lagimodiere. If you turn left on Lag…..well just follow the above examples.

Do people wonder why others are speeding on these stretches? Well it’s the only way you can get through a few lights without having to stop all the time! It would reduce the amount of speeding, collisions happening in the winter when people are sliding to stops from the 80 kph limit and the stress level of drivers.

Obeying It Makes The Roads Safer And More Effective For Everyone

The proper meaning of it should be taught to all young drivers and those already driving as well so please if you know someone who doesn’t obey it like your parents, grandma and grandpa etc, send them the link and make them read it.

Having done a lot of driving over the years I have found that it occurs in many places however least of all in modern major cities where people need to drive effectively.

However the worst place I have found for it occurring is in Manitoba and when I say Manitoba I mean southern Manitoba and when I say southern I basically mean a 100 kilometer radius of Winnipeg. Now for a city of nearly a million people if you count the bedroom communities you would think that for one, the road infrastructure would be designed better to make traffic flow and get people where they want to go quickly.

For some insane reason the traffic engineers hired by the City of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitoba feel that the best way to design roads is to stick traffic lights up everywhere. No where else have I seen (population wise) a place where you build a perimeter highway and have so many lighted intersections to slow down traffic.

Overview of the Road rules and signs focus area

Overview of the Road rules and signs focus area

This section provides an overview of the units included in the Road rules and signs
focus area and the content related to children as pedestrians and cyclists in the traffic
environment, identifying road signs, signals, markings and road rules.
Road rules and signs units
The following units allow all students to take part in learning experiences that
demonstrate their knowledge, skills and development of values relating to safer
pedestrian and cyclist behaviours.
Unit 4.1 Road rules
This unit focuses on identifying road rules relevant to pedestrians and cyclists;
consequences of non-compliance; and making decisions in road user situations.
Unit 4.2 Road signs and signals
This unit focuses on identifying road signs and signals relevant to pedestrians and
cyclists.

Just a video

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Some pictures of road signage(You can click the picture to zoom in)

Watch out for these signs

Obey warning signs STATE LAW

Why We Need To Obey Road Signage?

While we walk or drive heading to our schools, works, or even malls or parks, we commonly encounter those placards, signs with vibrant colors or even with lights across the streets and highway as a tool in having a good flow of traffic. But some of us or even me sometimes neglect those things and disobey those traffic rules or signs. But realizing the danger of those acts makes me afraid. Just like having the possibility of hitting by a truck or bus in the middle of the road like as many cases reported here in the Philippines.

Just like what happened to us a few months ago. We almost bumped to the car into the next lane because of not following the speed limit of that certain area. It may be just signs but it has a great role to protect our lives if we want to because all the possibilities are in our hands. It’s our choice. And if you want to have your live to the fullest, obey road signs and follow traffic rules.