A relevant question:
_ What are these dri-
‘ving schools teaching
ese student drivers?

: _ For nearly two years |
have been writing this traffic
» safety column and for that
‘duration I have been fielding
questions and comments. Via
correspondence, telephone or
} by this very weekly-cxposi-
! tion, I have responded.
. Acomrson theme arising
from said conversations is the
general public’s frustration
‘with driving schools’ seeming
inability to “ger it righi.”
: Obviously a huge can of:
worms in this one;
' Today, folks, I offer this
singular insight to a singular
problem: Do driving instrac-
ors know what a traffic sen-

Friday, July 12, 1996 — North Shore News ~ 27

ools need some educating

“most of the major intersec-

tions throughout the North
Shore (measuring the magnet-
ic field of this huge planet,
Earth, and disruptions there-
abouts)

Traffic sensors, often
referred to as “pads” (which
they iiterally were, decades
ago, but are not any longer)
teil traffic lights, ia.a Big

Brother fashion, when anda’ .
"_.metallic-besring vehicle is. -
waiting at any given tl traffic .

Hight.

fort cdeton deri ad_- .
child ratratnt seat hardware make the Swit one of the ‘safest smal carson ‘te road, And that’s just the start-the Sel as ts a-

real wiger weasher, 2 reat parcel sucl,a passenger assist handle, a vanity mires, a tig meter and a four cylinder engine, Add these fetus .
ta our fans Jayanass (ality. 24 hour roads assistance and 3 yeei/ 0 en vatranty andit becomes erat thet if iu at bang .

” whit supplies lect. Denier may sof for less. "

“tituaiostgvetete eve ee

Many traffic sensors are
teferred to as “passive,”
meaning they wil! not “cycle”
(change) a red fight to a green
light until a vehicle has
arrived and triggered said sen-
sor and thus made its presence
known.

As it tums out, a few of the
driving schools and/or their
instructors know nothing
about this “passive” aspect of
traffic sensors. Some know
nothing about sensors at all.
It’s a sad story.

In an unscientific survey.
yours truly polled a couple of
dozen driving schools seen
working the work and talking
the talk on the North Shore, .

I was dismayed to find that
several of the driving schools
were not only unwilling to
partake in a bit of free public
Telations, but unwilling
because they were in the mid-

‘ die of a lesson and talking on

their costly cell phone (fine, -

_ but what were these fellows

doing answering a cell phone.

Richmond Suzie
3511 No 3 Road.

~ Richmond, B.C.” -
Tek 604 278-0331,

teed on38 cit i ak §16renth (tl ment $6384, Sith 62,0006 |

while teaching in the first
place?). Or they refused to
speak to me in English (my
only language, aside from
broken French). Or, and here's
a big shock, they weve no
longer in service.

Of the people I managed to
harangue for a few moments,
60% understood the question
and most of these willingly
explained, in great detail, the
techniques used for teaching a
new driver the nuances of dri-
ving on the streets we all use.

Unfortunately, nearly 25%

f the schools polled insisted
that a “traffic light will change
eventually, so just be patient.”
Teaching patience: Good. Not
knowing the concept of the
“passive” sensor: Bad.

It makes one wonder about

said instructors’ other abilities. /

In all fairness, this is relatively
new technology, but shouldn’:
a dtiving school keep itself
abreast of traffic-assisting .

° Remember to register your st Relay t team to: wy alk,
tun, § stroll or jog: the ZK scenic course. .

Ttsa super FUNGdraiser for emergency sevié S

technology?

A small minority of polled
driving schools, 15% in fact,
had no idea that traffic sensors
even existed.

This is pathetic. This is 2
case of the blind leading the
blind and the entire driving
schooi industry suffers
because of such ignorance
(reputations and all).

The complaints come in

. weckly, from professional dii-
vers, usually, bus drivers
mostly (schedule to keep, and
all). These drivers are sick and
tired of sitting behind a “stu-
dent criver” sign pasted on the
back of a little Corolla which
has stopped an inaccurately
safe distance from a stop line,
that is, so far back 30 25 not to

" be on the sensor,

These are intersection with
passive sensors. These lights.
vill not change until’a metal-

lic object has triggered its sen- :
sor (metallic chject being as _

at Lions Gate Hospital”

# We all benefit ~ each year over 55, 000:
people visiz Lions Gate. Hospieal Emetgenc

* Department

large as a Mack Truck to as
small as a bicycle).

The only reason these
lights ever change, regardiess
of what a few rinky-dink dri-
ving schools say, is because
someone was on said sensor.
Gr someone bothered to get
out of their vehicle and ask
(poiitely, 1 hope) for the car in
front of them to move ahead a
little bit; or, more dangerously,
someone decided ta pass an
ignoramus and move onto the |

~ sensor themselves

Becauise of the number of -
worms I may fet loose, 1 will
not mention the names of"
these bonehead driving |
schools nor the reason our(?

: government allows them to

exist.
i will deal with specifics if

__ you folks care to keep those’.

questions and comments com-

. ing. Write to me c/o the News.

In the meantime, deal with:
it and, as always, bes safe. j

Call the Relay Hotline for your registration brochure
including information about the event and great prizss.

| seid |

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22; 1996

. GaSe ae

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