Every Friday, Lynda Steele dips into the viewer mailbag to answer your questions. This week, Steele on Your Side looks at wait times on the Lions Gate Bridge and the sound level of commercials.

Lions Gate Bridge wait times

Chuck wrote Steele on Your Side to ask how wait times are calculated for the Lions Gate Bridge and how often they are revised. He says he has found they're not always accurate.

The Ministry of Transportation tells us that the system actually calculates delay time, not travel time. Delay time is the time you'll spend in the traffic line-up just to get on the bridge.

Sensors are set up at various locations starting from the top of Taylor Way in West Vancouver, and do not include the off-ramp from Highway 1. The times are updated every two minutes.

Each time the couterflow system changes the direction of the centre lane, the traffic conditions in the area can change significantly and may take additional time for the system to update.

When cars line up beyond the detection capabilities of the system, then an operator will manually override the system and post extended delay messaging.

Sound levels on TV commercials

Ray says he's noticed that some TV programs he watches have lower sound levels than commercials. He says he thought rules were put in place to avoid this and wants to know if that's the case.

In September 2012, international standards were set that all TV stations must ensure commercials are broadcast at a similar volume to programs.

Still, some set-ups of home theatre systems can make the commercials sound louder than they actually are.

If you think a commercial is excessively loud, contact the broadcaster or your TV service provider about your concerns.

Make sure you know the date, time and channel of the program and the title or description of the commercial.