Conditions change, so should your speed. Even the most confident drivers are at risk in hazardous road conditions. Slow down and drive at a safe speed. Visit ShiftintoWinter.ca.

Almost double the number of pedestrians are injured in crashes from October to January as the weather changes and daylight hours decrease. On Vancouver Island every year, on average, 390 crashes involve a pedestrian.

That's why today, ICBC is launching a pedestrian safety campaign with police and TransLink to urge pedestrians and drivers to stay safe as crashes with pedestrians spike at this time of year.

Wearing a seatbelt is one of the most important ways for drivers – and passengers – to protect themselves. Your chances of surviving a vehicle crash increase dramatically if you are wearing a seatbelt properly.

Seatbelts reduce the risk of occupants striking the interior of the vehicle, colliding with other passengers, or being ejected.

Every seat used in your vehicle must have a seatbelt.

Distracted driving now causes more fatal crashes in BC than impaired driving. When you’re behind the wheel, take a break from your phone.

The use of hand-held personal electronic devices has been banned in BC since 2010. The law also applies while you’re stopped at a red light or slowed in traffic.

The penalty for one distracted driving ticket is a $368 fine and four penalty points ($210) for a total of $578.

Oceanside Community Safety SPEEDWATCH volunteers will be out educating and reminding drivers to observe the speed change in designated school zones.

I got into my car the other day and got to thinking that there will be a time when I will lose my freedom and independence from driving.

How will I know when it is time to retire from driving? I don't want it to be sudden as a result of a crash that may hurt others as well as myself. What can my family do to help with the decision on my abilities? Here are some resources for support with the Retirement Discussion.. Need an update on your current ability to drive? ICBC has a  Practice and Refresher Test to try. Find out what is available as alternative transportation by Planning Ahead.

Our current system of trying to change driver behaviour largely consists of traffic tickets, vehicle impoundment and driver's licence suspensions. They all rely on traffic policing to find and deal with those who don't follow the rules. How efficient is that?

The rain is pounding down outside this morning as I sit looking out my livingroom window with tablet and coffee in hand. I'm warm and dry enjoying the idea that being retired means I am no longer on the highway investigating collisions in this weather. Of course, Murphy was listening.

This is a short trip down memory lane with a retired traffic cop: me. I've just recently completed a round trip from Vancouver Island to the West Kootenays and back and had plenty of time to think along the way. There were ghosts along Highway 3 from the Manning Park works yard to Rock Creek, one of my old patrol areas.

If I were to ask you what a flag person's job was, what would you reply? Assure orderly movement of traffic through a highway obstruction of some sort? Help everyone involved to be safe as they work on the highway? Why then do some drivers treat flagpersons so badly?