New ICBC Announcement – ICBC Will Be Screening Road Test Examinees For Coronavirus Symptoms

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ICBC has just announced a “Mandatory Questionnaire For Road Test Examinees To Screen For Potential COVID-19 Symptoms”.

We had a student do a Class 3 Road Test today at ServiceBC in Duncan and he was not screened for COVID-19 symptoms. But anyone going for a Road Test should be prepared to be scrfeened for Coronavirus symptoms.

Here is the ICBC announcement:

“Mandatory questionnaire for examinees to screen for potential COVID-19 symptoms

ICBC is taking additional measures to protect our driver examiners where a road test examinee may have travelled to a high risk country or is presenting symptoms known to be associated with the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

Effective immediately, every examinee coming in for a road test will be asked about their recent travel destinations and asked some medical related questions.

After completing the questionnaire, an examinee will be advised if they can continue with their road test or be rescheduled. A minimum waiting period of 14 days will be required for a rescheduled road test.

Until further notice, a driver may cancel their road test within 48 hours of their test — and won’t be charged a Late Cancellation Fee — if their reasons are directly related to ICBC’s screening questions about COVID-19.

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, continue to take appropriate steps to maintain clean driver training facilities and vehicles, and to remind students of proper hygiene practices.

External resources:

·        ​World Health Organization: About Coronavirus

·         World Health Organization: Advice for the public

·         Government of Canada: FAQ

·         Government of Canada: Travel advice and advisories

·         BC Centre of Disease Control: BC update

Please share this information with your staff and encourage them to check for important news and updates on our driver training web site dtcbc.com.”

ServiceBC office, 5785 Duncan Street, where ICBC Road Tests are conducted in Duncan, B.C. (photo by West Coast Driver Training)
ServiceBC office, 5785 Duncan Street, where ICBC Road Tests are conducted in Duncan, B.C. (photo by West Coast Driver Training)

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1954 Victoria Newspaper Story About A Planned Police Crackdown On Drivers Not Using Hand Signals

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Drivers taking ICBC Road Tests are required to demonstrate hand signals and many of our students ask why they have to know this since vehicles are equipped with turn signals and brake lights.

Here is a bit of history on the use of hand signals by drivers: a 1954 Victoria newspaper report about a planned crackdown by the Victoria police against drivers who fail to use hand signals.

Victoria newspaper story about a planned police crackdown on drivers not using hand signals, 1954.
Victoria newspaper story about a planned police crackdown on drivers not using hand signals, 1954.

Note the comments in the right hand column:

“Blinking lights on both sides of car (i.e. turn signals) that have an indicator inside on the dash are allowable if the blink 32 times per minute. Certain mechanical hands on commercial vehicles are allowed [note: some trucks and commercial vehicles of the period had mechanical indicators or pointers that signaled turns or lane changes], but the lighted trafficators on some British cars [note: some British cars of the period had lights which illuminated, but did not flash, to signal turns or lane changes] are against the law.”