Drugs and medications can impair your driving abilities. If you are taking medications or drugs, you need to know whether they can affect your ability to drive safely. With some drugs, concentration and coordination are reduced, reaction time is slowed and peripheral vision is affected. Drugs affect different people differently. If there is any doubt about safety, leave the driving to someone else.

You must always be prepared to stop if you see a pedestrian who is about to step out in front of you. But don’t encourage jaywalking (crossing between intersections) by stopping and inviting the jaywalker to cross. The vehicle behind you may not be expecting you to stop and may crash into you. Drivers in the other lanes may not see the pedestrian crossing in front of your vehicle and may hit the person. Under Section 180 of the Motor Vehicle Act, a jaywalker does NOT have the legal right-of-way.

Whenever you enter a lane, the vehicles that are already in that lane have the right-of-way. When changing lanes, check your mirrors and your blind spots. Make sure there is a large enough gap so that when you pull in front of another vehicle, that driver doesn’t have to slow down to avoid crashing into you. Signal, then enter the lane. Legally, you must signal whenever you change lanes.

On a multi-lane road, the right lane is often the safest one to choose. It keeps you away from oncoming traffic and it’s less likely that another driver will tailgate you.

When driving at night, avoid glare from lights. Glance at the right edge of the road to avoid glare from oncoming headlights. Adjust your rear‑view mirror for night driving to avoid glare from headlights of vehicles behind you. Your high-beam headlights can illuminate the road ahead much farther than your low-beam headlights can. However, in British Columbia, you must dim your headlights to low beam whenever you are within 150 metres of another vehicle, whether you’re meeting or following the vehicle

You must always be prepared to stop if you see a pedestrian who is about to step out in front of you. But don’t encourage jaywalking (crossing between intersections) by stopping and inviting the pedestrian to cross. The car behind you may not be expecting you to stop and may crash into you. Drivers in the other lanes may not see the pedestrian crossing in front of your vehicle and may hit the person. Under Section 180 of the Motor Vehicle Act, a jaywalker does NOT have the legal right-of-way. However, under Section 181, you must always take care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian

Get ready for winter by switching to tires that are suitable for winter conditions. Carry chains in your vehicle and know how to mount them. In British Columbia, snow tires or chains are a legal requirement on many roads during the winter. Carry sand or salt and a shovel to use if you become stuck on ice or in the snow. Have emergency warning devices (such as flares or reflective triangles) available as well. Before you start to drive, make sure you can see. Scrape snow or frost from the windows and mirrors, get rid of any ice or snow on the wipers, and clean all the lights. Scan farther ahead when driving to give yourself a larger safety margin. Your vehicle’s braking distance can be 10 times as long on ice as it is on dry pavement.

You should use the Centre or right lanes for normal driving. The leftmost lane is for passing and higher-speed vehicles. Under Section 151.1 of the Motor Vehicle Act, if you’re in the leftmost lane when a faster vehicle approaches you from behind, you must change lanes to let the vehicle pass. Otherwise, the vehicle might try to pass you on the right, which is less safe than passing on the left.

An unexpected vehicle breakdown can create a dangerous situation, so try to get your vehicle away from traffic. If your engine fails, signal and steer to the edge of the road. Try to get to the nearest exit or service area or pull off the road as far as possible if you are on a freeway. Turn on your hazard lights and stay with your vehicle. Don’t try to do roadside repairs on crowded and fast‑moving freeways.

Signal your intention to turn off the highway, maintaining your speed until you enter the exit lane. Then slow down gradually as you prepare to enter roads with lower speed limits.

Emergency vehicles displaying flashing lights and sirens always have the right‑of‑way. All traffic moving in both directions must stop. If you’re approached by an emergency vehicle, get clear of any intersection, pull over to the right (or to the left if you’re on a one-way street or in the left lane of a divided highway), and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed. The only exception is if the emergency vehicle is on the opposite side of a divided highway, in which case you do not have to pull over.

Emergency vehicles displaying flashing lights and sirens always have the right‑of‑way. You must leave a clear path for any emergency vehicle with flashing lights and sirens that is approaching you.

Fatigue is one of the leading causes of crashes. Tiredness can slow your thinking, lengthen your reaction time and cause you to scan inaccurately. To stay alert behind the wheel (especially on long trips), make sure you are well rested before you start your trip. To keep alert during the trip, take several breaks along the way. Walk around and get some exercise. Eat moderately but avoid heavy meals because they may make you feel sleepy. Keep a window open for fresh air and sing or talk to keep yourself paying attention. However, if you find yourself getting sleepy, pull over to a rest stop and take a nap. Be sure to lock your doors.

Emergency vehicles displaying flashing lights and sirens always have the right‑of‑way. All traffic moving in both directions must stop. The only exception to this rule is if you are on a divided highway and the emergency vehicle is approaching on the other side of the median. Make sure that it would be impossible for the emergency vehicle to move onto your side of the highway.

Rain can cause loss of traction and hydroplaning. Rain makes the road surface slippery, especially during the beginning of a rainfall. The rainwater mixes with the oil on the road to create a slippery, oily film that persists until more rain washes it away. Hydroplaning occurs when the tires lose contact with the road surface and float on a film of water, causing the driver to lose control of steering and braking. Slow down and use caution when driving on any low‑traction surface, and avoid driving altogether in extremely bad weather. You should also leave more following distance and allow at least twice the usual braking distance.

Hydroplaning happens when the tires lose contact with the road surface and float on a film of water. It can happen in rain or standing water. The driver instantly loses control of steering and braking. The higher your speed, the greater your chances of hydroplaning. If hydroplaning occurs, don’t brake; braking might cause loss of control. Instead, steer straight and ease off the accelerator to let your vehicle slow down.