Published: 19 February 2018

Transport Minister, Marc Garneau, recently announced that the federal government is going to be developing new training standards for semi-truck drivers. We support all initiatives that increase safety, and are thankful for the experience our own drivers have. We wondered though, if the average non-commercial driver really remembers everything they may have learned, or if they’ve kept up to date on new things, like round-abouts. See if you know the answers to these True or False questions.

1. When visibility is poor due to rain or fog, it’s best to turn your four-way flashers on.
   ❏True   ❏False
   
   
2. You should always put your automatic transmission in D2 when it’s raining.
   ❏True   ❏False
   
   
3. Taking a curve at a high speed can cause a loss of steering control.
   ❏True   ❏False
   
   
4. In BC, you do not need to signal in a round-about.
   ❏True   ❏False
   
   
5. These two signs mean the same thing, one’s just upside down.
   
   ❏True   ❏False
   
   
6.  You should steer in the direction opposite to where you want to go if your cars starts skidding on ice.
   ❏True   ❏False
   
   
7. Playground speed limits are in effect from 8am to 5pm.
   ❏True   ❏False
   
   
8. You are driving “up” this road. Because the solid yellow line is on your side, you are not allowed to turn left.
   
   ❏True   ❏False
   
   
9. The roads can be particularly slippery when it’s just started to rain.
   ❏True   ❏False
   
   
10. This sign means that there is only one lane going in your direction ahead.
    
    ❏True   ❏False
    
    

Answers:

1. ❏False: When visibility is poor due to rain or fog, it’s best to turn your LOW BEAM headlights which reduces glare.
   
   
2. ❏False: You should always put your automatic transmission in D2 when you are pulling a trailer or going up or down a very steep hill. If it’s raining, you can use the regular D gear, but reduce your speed.
   
   
3. ❏True: Taking a curve at a high speed can cause a loss of steering control. The weight of the vehicle combined with speed will propel the vehicle in a straight line through the force of inertia. Not making the turn in your lane could put you in the path of oncoming traffic, or off the road entirely.
   
   
4. ❏False: In BC, you DO need to signal in a round-about. You should signal a left turn just ahead of your exit.
   
   
5. ❏False: These two signs both mean that there is an obstruction ahead, BUT one means you will need to keep right, and other to keep left.
   
   
6. ❏False: You should steer IN THE DIRECTION of where you want to go if your cars starts skidding on ice.
   
   
7. ❏False: Playground speed limits are in effect from DUSK til DAWN, regardless of the time. School zones are from 8am to 5pm.
   
   
8. ❏False: You can turn left over a solid yellow line, as long as you’re not impeding traffic.
   
   
9. ❏True: The first bit of rain mixes with oil on the road, making it particularly slippery. While you do need to watch for puddles and adjust to poor visibility in a rain storm, the road surface itself will get less slippery the more rain that falls.
   
   
10. ❏False: This sign means that there is NO PASSING allowed.

So, how’d you do? If you think you’d benefit from a refresher, there’s one here from ICBC, who we also thank for all of the info for our quiz

Ameri-Can Logistics Ltd. is a trucking company servicing shipping ports, railroad depots, and communities throughout North America. Operating 24/7/365 with continuous dispatch services, businesses have relied on Ameri-Can to distribute their products to buyers in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, for three decades.