Fire apparatus have a special privilege granted to no other emergency vehicle in British Columbia. You must not follow them within 150 meters or 500 feet unless you are also driving an emergency vehicle. Having never been a firefighter I was curious and thought that I would ask the experts and find out why this rule exists.

Fire apparatus is not always as nimble as the vehicles most people drive so they may not be able to easily pull away from traffic. Following at the proper distance leaves room for sudden stops, turns and unexpected lane changes. Following too closely could cause a collision that would prevent the fire truck from reaching the emergency and have significant consequences in both locations.

As a follower, you don't know what sort of emergency the fire truck is responding to. It may be a situation that you don't want to become involved in such as an explosion or building collapse. Proper following distance will keep you from becoming trapped in the situation.

Finally, hydrants are usually located at street corners in the city. Keeping back allows firefighters to lay hose in safety and you to turn off to an alternate route. Fire equipment and personnel effectively prohibit you from driving or parking in the block that they are on when responding to a fire alarm.

Photo: Thinkstock.com

The author is a retired constable with many years of traffic law enforcement experience. To comment or learn more, please visit www.drivesmartbc.ca.

A reader from Vancouver asked me where the rules came from for bicycle lanes and signs as they could not be found in the provincial driving manual, Learn to Drive Smart. Included in the e-mail was a link to the City of Vancouver's website which showed a collection of signs and markings that are now in use on the city streets there. I didn't think that this was going to be a tough question!

I went to the Manual of Standard Traffic Signs and Pavement Markings for British Columbia. Surely I would find everything there. I couldn't, so I e-mailed the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and asked. The lady that responded pointed me to the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) who she advised were responsible for setting the standards.

TAC's documentation is titled Bikeway Traffic Control Guidelines for Canada and must be purchased. Being resourceful (and thrifty) I searched the title on the Internet instead. I was able to find a number of useful links that are listed with this article on the DriveSmartBC website.

So, if you are curious about what those "new" signs and pavement markings require you to do as either a driver or a cyclist, my best advice at this point is to check out the City of Vancouver's website. It seems to be the most comprehensive of the free resources. I can summarize for you; keep your lane discipline, watch out for each other and exercise courtesy when you meet.

The author is a retired constable with many years of traffic enforcement experience. To comment or learn more, please visit www.drivesmartbc.ca.

I spent most of my policing career as a traffic cop. Yes, I have an outlook that many in the public don't share, but they haven't spent 25 years investigating collisions and seeing the aftermath either. Thank goodness for that, but maybe our politicians need a bit of experience similar to my own to temper their viewpoints.

A news item in the Tyee today has me shaking my head. Mike Morris is a Liberal candidate for Prince George - MacKenzie and an ex-RCMP officer. He says that photo radar was an effective tool and that we should use technology where appropriate to free up police resources for jobs that technology cannot do today. As you might expect, I agree with him completely.

Not so for our four party leaders. Two immediately responded about it being a cash grab, one suggested using a greater police presence and the last used the opportunity to point the finger at one of the others. My first thought is that they are out of touch and on reconsideration I expect that they are not going to dose us with the medicine that we do need at a time where they are looking to the public for employment.

Agree with me or not, speed is a major component in many motor vehicle collisions. The consequences of collisions are severe and affect us all in many ways that we don't stop to consider. Our politicians must stop to consider and should not be making ill considered remarks like those reported in the story.

The author is a retired constable with many years of traffic law enforcement experience. To comment or learn more, please visit www.drivesmartbc.ca.

"Could you perhaps comment on poorly focused hi-intensity illegal conversions done to forward lighting on vehicles?", asks a reader. He has had many of his friends comment on how newer vehicles with hi tech headlights have made night driving uncomfortable and unsafe for them. I've noticed that some of these conversions are also difficult to look at during the day as well.

All of the components of the lighting system must be marked by the manufacturer to show that they meet standards. For headlights with filaments, you will find a North American SAE code or a European E code on the lens that starts with an H. The filament bulbs meant for use in these headlight housings will also start with an H. The newer gas discharge headlights similarly start with a D.

It is both dangerous and illegal to mix these, and the most common conversion is to put a D type discharge capsule into an H type housing. This results in significant glare for other road users because the housings can no longer focus the light from the lamp properly. It also means the loss of ability to switch between high and low beam for vehicles with only one headlight on each side.

Beware! Some "good deals" on eBay and through less scrupulous suppliers are marked with SAE, DOT or E markings but are counterfeit and do not do the intended job properly. Inspection facilities have reference material to help the inspector determine if a "fake" is being used and when they are found the vehicle must be failed. This effectively removes the vehicle from the road until satisfactory repairs are carried out.

The author is a retired constable with many years of traffic law enforcement experience. To comment or learn more, please visit www.drivesmartbc.ca.