Since the introduction of automobiles more than a century ago, street traffic has become an important part of our modern world. It re-shaped cities and the way we interact with our surrounding environment. Street traffic would have been chaos without rules and regulations to tell us how fast we could drive and whether we should wait for people to cross the street. Without traffic rules, the safety of pedestrians, passengers and cyclists would be in danger at all times.

 

But, the city wasn’t always this way. There was a time when the streets were untamed and reckless danger lurked around every road bend...

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Behind the Lines takes an in-depth look at the history of Vancouver’s streets through the lens of local law enforcement. See how the rules of the road changed and developed over the past century, addressing new challenges, modes of transportation and technology. From adapting the road rules for carriages, pedestrians and cars all the way to using police traffic squads for riot control, the narrative behind our current road safety standards is fast-paced and fascinating.

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