DROP IT AND DRIVE - GET OFF THE CELLPHONE

In British Columbia using a handheld cellphone and other handheld devices while driving is ILLEGAL

Cellphones are a modern convenience that most of us now have.  I remember back in the 80's when they came out, they were the size of a small brick and just as heavy. Up until about a year ago I resisted getting a cellphone, but that all changed when Scooterpie Junior went into high school, we needed to be connectable for safety reasons.  I have never used my cellphone in the car unless I had my bluetooth earpiece. Even with the earpiece I found it distracting enough to make me pull over and carry on the conversation while stopped.   Two years ago my cd/player radio toasted in the van and I just haven't bothered to fix it, I kind of like the peace and quiet in the car.   

One morning about a year ago I was taking Scooterpie Jr  to school and we were almost wiped off the map by someone who was holding a cellphone and 'trying' to drive at the same time.  This person made a very illegal lane change, they passed us on the righthand side on a city street where there was no lane and almost hit us.  That was it, I told Scooterpie Junior to call 911 on her cellphone and then we reported the driver to the police, I only got a partial license tag, so it wasn't very helpful.  I was so shook up and angry that someone could be so careless and take our lives for granted.  

Fast forward to today and I now ride a scooter or motorcycle for my commute to/from work.  This last 10 months has been an education on the road.  I have learned never to take my safety for granted and I have adopted a drive like they don't see me attitude.  I am constantly scanning for errant drivers who are not paying attention and can pretty much say that every day I encounter situations on the road where someone is doing something stupid and dangerous.  Because of this I wear a bright colored helmet - diva pink and have a hi viz traffic vest over top of my textile riding jacket and people still don't see me.  Several times on my commute I have encountered countless drivers who are talking on their cellphones and worse yet texting and I have had to take evasive measures. YOU ARE A DANGER to everyone around you and yourself if you are using your cellphone, GPS unit or snarfing down your breakfast bagel on the way to work while driving.

Riding a motorcycle makes me vulnerable to the 3000 or so pounds of rolling 4-wheeled death that shares the road with me.  I also know that if there is an incident I am not going to be the one who walks away with just a little ding on the door and it has the potential to be life threatening and/or a life changing event.  I can do everything right and take all of the motorcycle safety courses in the world and it won't matter a rip if someone is an inattentive distracted driver.  So you maybe wondering why I still ride?  I ride because I like the sense of independence, freedom and love of adventure it gives me, its hard to put into words and only another  motorcyclist or scooterist will know what I am talking about and why I ride.  That being said, we all have a responsibility to be attentive good drivers, car or motorcycle.  

In 2009, BC Solicitor General Kash Heed proposed a new law for BC - a cellphone ban while driving.  The cellphone ban became law in January 2010.  The law includes a prohibition against using handheld devices; cellphones, ipods, GPS units and any form of text messaging or emailing while driving.  Ok, I seriously have to ask who in their right mind could even think that texting in any way shape or form is a safe driving habit?  Where has common sense gone? The cellphone law is meant to address driver distractions.  Distracted driving is anything that takes your eyes from the road or hands from the wheel. Our vehicles have become much more than modes of transportation, they seem almost to have become mini mobile offices for some and to others their cars have almost all the creature comforts of home.  When we are in our cars we have several distractions;  radios, kids in the backseat, being in a rush to get somewhere, eating food and drinking a cup of the demon bean, thinking about the countless things we have to do and how stressed we are.  Your attention is already divided in the car between keeping control of the chaos inside and paying attention to the mayhem that is going on outside, add an electronic device or two and it sounds like the perfect recipe for a disaster in the making.   

We are almost two years into the cell phone ban and you would never know it.   People seem to be willing to risk the penalty of being caught on the phone or texting and the threat is gone.  Drivers have become complacent and are starting to use their cellphones while driving.  When I am stopped at lights I see people taking furtive glances at their lap area and you can bet they are texting. Do you really think you are being clever because you are sneaking peeks at your phone - Nooooo you aren't clever, police can spot you a mile away.  I've seen people sitting at a red light and they are talking on their phones.  Ok people here is the dealio - even stopped at a red light it is STILL ILLEGAL to hold your phone and have a little chat with someone or text.  Hello! how about paying attention to your surroundings?  You should be scanning the area looking for another idiot like yourself that is driving the 3000 pounds of rolling 4-wheeled death coming up behind you and are about to rear-end you because he finds his conversation more important and interesting than paying attention to the road.  

If you are near me and talking on your cell phone or texting I WILL give you a wicked Moto Diva stare and probably memorize your license plate number, find the nearest & safest place to  stop & pull over and call the police and report you.

GET OFF YOUR CELLPHONE AND STOP TEXTING. PLEASE SEE THE PICTURE BELOW - THESE ARE THE PEOPLE I NEED TO COME HOME TO.

2011 Rider's For Safety - A Call for Concrete Barriers on TCH/MALAHAT

Malahat Fire Chief Robert Patterson with Riding Community Members during the moment of silence to commemorate ALL persons who have died on the TCH/Malahat.

Saturday, November 5th, 2011, Motorcyclists from across Victoria's Capital Region gathered at Ogden Point for the 2011 Rider's For Safety event.  Approximately 300 riders came together to ride to the Victoria Legislature to hold a remembrance vigil, one week to the day and hour of the latest crash on the TCH/Malahat.  Last Saturday a motorcyclist was killed at 3:45pm near the Shawnigan Lake Turn-off.   If concrete dividers had been in place it may have changed the outcome of the accident for the motorcyclist.  The purpose of the Rider's For Safety event is to raise road safety awareness on the TCH/Malahat and to commemorate ALL lives lost on this road; motorcyclist and vehicle driver.  This continues to be the RFS focus and will be until BC Government Officials choose to install concrete dividers and enhance safety on the highway. 

Vancouver Island is home to Trans Canada Number 1 Malahat Highway.  This is a gorgeous drive/ride, but also deadly when people become inattentive at the wheel engaging in things as mundane as, taking a sip of coffee, texting or using their cell phones, ipods, GPS units and other gadgets that are now routinely found in cars.  These devices are distractions to driver's and it is that fraction of a second that can and does change lives irrevocably, shattering the lives of other drivers and all too often motorcyclists.   Texting and handheld cellphone and device use is illegal in the Province of BC. Other accident factors such as speeding and driving while under the influence have played a factor in crashes in the past on the Malahat. 

Motorcyclists and scooterists are the most vulnerable of all highway users and more often than not when they are involved in a collision with a car the motorcyclist/scooterist is the clear loser in these accidents.  People who were otherwise productive citizens are no longer capable of reaching their potential due to debilitating traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and drastic decline in their pre-accident health status.  Some are lucky and are able to return to their pre-accident status as functioning individuals and others who are less fortunate require extensive rehab or care 24/7/365 for the rest of their lives.  These events alter the lives of everyone concerned; the victim, their families and the driver responsible for the accident.

The Trans Canada Malahat requires concrete barriers to be installed from Goldstream to Mill Bay.  The purpose of the concrete barriers is to keep cars in their lanes and stop them from crossing the centre line. Unfortunately this happens several times a year on the Malahat, often with deadly consequences or lives so shattered that human potential has been damaged beyond repair.  Malahat Fire Dept Chief Robert Patterson is a strong advocate for concrete barriers on the Malahat.  He and his fire fighters are the ones who are called away from their homes as first responders.  They are the ones who scrape people off the pavement, they are the ones who hold the hand of someone who is dying and they are the ones who live with the memory of what they have witnessed.  They are the ones who know that a concrete divider will make a difference in accident outcomes on the Malahat.  Just this one single act of installing concrete dividers will change the scope of accidents on the Malahat.  There still will be crashes, but at least drivers will not be crossing the centre line into on-coming traffic.  The cost of a barrier would be minimal compared to the human cost in tragedy and what the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia would pay out for medical expenses, i.e. rehab, disability and claim settlement.  Honestly why do we continue to let the carnage happen?  How many more people have to die?  We deserve to have safe highways, our fire fighters, paramedics and police officers deserve better, they should not have to witness the carnage knowing that it could have been different, because of the installation of a concrete median.  

I call on everyone in the driving community to do their part, drivers put down the cell phone, stop texting, stop diverting your attention from the road, keep both hands on the wheel.  Engage in road safety habits, don't speed, stop being an aggressive driver.  Motorcyclists/scooterists take motorcycle training courses, you will be a better and safer rider. Promise yourself you will be a better driver every time you get behind the wheel or on your bike and if you can't - don't drive.

The human price paid from motor vehicle accidents is just too high for this to continue and it is up to us to let politicians know we demand a safer Malahat highway.

I urge you to write a letter (not email) to the 

Provincial Minister of Transportation & Highways:  Honourable Blair Lekstrom, 

PO Box 9055 STN 
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT, 

VICTORIA, BC, V9W 9E2

**PLEASE SEND A COPY OF YOUR LETTER TO YOUR       MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (MLA). 

To find your MLA visit www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-7.htm

Vancouver Island Safety Council Motorcycle Safety Instructors 

Rider Kristy Falconer leading Chief Robert Patterson into Ogden Point 

Estimated 300 Riders from the Vancouver Island Motorcycling Community

Motorcyclists parked their bikes along the driveway of the Provincial Legislature -
*At the time this picture was taken all riders had not arrived, they continued to stretch the entire length of the driveway right to where you see the white bus parked curb side.  It was an awe inspiring sight to behold.
The ride was completed without incident and ALL riders followed road laws.

Many riders including myself wore Caution signs on the back
of our riding gear to show who we NEED to come home to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19NyvhrffcY

www.youtube.com
Wayne Williams shot this video of our event it shows how big the event was, note that as he walks with his camera he shows the motorcyclists coming up the driveway, they a wrapped around the side street still waiting to enter.  300!

Can you see me now??

Can you see me now?

The most important thing is motorcycling and scootering is conspicuity.  In my pink diva gear I was very conspicuous, now that I am getting a new jacket and it is black, I have made the decision to wear a hi-viz safety vest, particularly at night or when I am on the highway.  This cool little vest has red LEDs that you can leave on steady light pattern or on flashing.    I will take any opportunity I can to be visible and if these sparkly little red led lights do that then great.  My daughter jokingly said we don't need a Christmas tree up and all we have to do is put an angel on top of my head and wear a few Christmas baubles for earrings and we are good to go.  If you think I am dorky I seriously don't care, I want cars & truck drivers to see me and this is just the ticket.

If you are wondering where I got this lovely little vest, it was from Capital Iron, full price it was $19.99. but they are 50% off and I plunked down $11.19 for this sparkly little baby.  The gal said they were selling well at their full, price, now they will be gone for sure.