The Winter Olympics will be taking place in four short months. They are hyped by the local media as the biggest sports event in the world in 2010. This view completely ignores the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and The Commonwealth Games in New Delhi of course.
There are some things you should know about drivers in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. I have lived here for 8 years and have seen some very bad driving. Be very careful when crossing the road especially at junctions and pedestrian crossings. Drivers tend to speed whenever possible as there are no speed cameras here to photograph them. There are no red light cameras either so be careful when crossing as some drivers actually speed up when they see the red light especially if they are driving a truck or an SUV. Indeed I have seen people speed through a red light on a pedestrian crossing when I have been about to cross. The worst law for pedestrians though is the rule where vehicles can legally turn right if no traffic is coming the other way. Few drivers who turn right under these circumstances actually check to see if there are pedestrians crossing and just go. Drivers do wave to you though if they narrowly miss you, as if to say sorry.
While I could not find specific negative driving statistics for Vancouver and have personally never had a problem on the roads while traveling there, it is always a good idea to take care when crossing any street, especially in a foreign country when driving habits may be unfamiliar to visitors. -Editor ITKT-
Julian has written articles on Middle Eastern and European architecture for the US magazine Skipping Stones. He has written travel articles that were published in The Toronto Globe and Mail, Fate Magazine, National Catholic Register, and Northwest Travel. Julian has also written articles for the In The Know Traveler, Go Nomad, InTravelmag, and Go World Travel websites. He has also taken many photographs that have appeared in travel guides by National Geographic, Thomas Cook and The Rough Guides. Examples of his work can be found at http://www.photographersdirect.com/sellers/details.asp?portfolio=13734
