Howefamily

Maybe this is a failing of my personality but everyday I am observing all the deep sadness everywhere due to what happened to the hockey team in Humboldt in what is undeniably a road traffic accident whilst continuing to observe some of the most agressive tailgating and inconsiderate driving known to man as drivers all around me narrowly miss creating their own RTA tragedy... and I wonder, where is the corrolation between this sadness and the driving.

scilly

I also see that .......... and wonder the same.

I also sometimes wonder how many of the drivers currently on the road have actually taken a driving test in Canada, or even seen a copy of the "rules of the road".

It isn't that long ago that there was a case here in BC where several/many (total number unknown) Chinese-language drivers obtained drivers licenses under false pretenses ............ someone else did it for them. Only 1 driving instructor was charged.


OH wanted to brush up on his knowledge about 15 years ago ........... he'd done a road test in the US many years before, and just had to have a very short in-office test here in BC. He was told that there were no generally available booklets on the rules of the road, only learner drivers were given them.

I'm still confused as to why British drivers can just exchange their licenses without doing a road test .............. granted some rules of the road are the same, but there are others which are not.

Partially discharged

In Ontario you can take the first test which is written only in 24 different languages yet road signs in Ontario are only ever in english or french.

https://drivetest.ca/tests/knowledge-tests.html

scilly

Road signs here are only in English .........

.......... or in First Nations language if going through a reserve


yet we have at least one city where over 50% of the population is from China, and another where it is closing in on over 40% is from India

Piff Poff

I think it's bizarre that some countries are allowed to just swap a licence. Whilst this out pouring of grief is commendable, it doesn't actually do anything, millions of dollars are being raised, people are being made to feel guilty for not donating but it will do nothing to educate the moronic, tailgating, impatient, rednecked, phone wielding, speeding imbeciles that we see on the roads on a daily basis.

The worst drivers are those that drive lifted trucks and trucks that have been chipped. I still don't understand why drink driving is also still socially acceptable by so many groups of rednecks.

scot47

The assumption is that everyone needs a licence. I would ration the things

moneypenny20

I really don't understand the just swap licence thing. When we arrived in Aus, we had to take a multiple choice test to get our Aus licence. A few months later they changed the rules so you could just swap over. Just because we drive on the same side of the road in Britain and Aus does not mean we know and understand all of Australia's, or more to the point, Queensland's rules of the road. I don't even know the road rules of the other states! To go from Britain to Canada and all the changes that involves and not have to take a test is barking.

BristolUK

I'm not a driver so I'll plead ignorance.

But people go to Europe from the UK or even UK to the USA, hire a car and merrily drive on the wrong side of the road don't they? Without needing to pass a test.

If you can do it temporarily, why not permanently? Maybe in holiday mood it might actually be more dangerous than when you're actually adapting to new circumstances in a new country and driving is a part of all those changes?

scrubbedexpat091

Simply put nobody thinks they are a bad driver. Its always the others who are bad.

And some based on various comments on articles regarding the accident seem to blame only immigrants as the issue.

I am sure the poorly designed roads (in BC) anyhow and heavy congestion plays a factor in the larger citys.

Took over an hour yesterday to go 16km. That is insanity.

bats

I drove in freezing fog the other morning . Visibility was poor so I put my lights on and drove more slowly than usual. The majority of vehicles didn't have lights on and most were speeding, even overtaking.

jamesmc

ok heres my look at things,,when we came to MB it is a straight swap for car(5) licence,and bike as well . Well I had to do a driving test for my class 1A and to be honest it was so easy compaired to the UK test (even back in 81) I'm surprised that most people don't hold one. After watching local kids doing there tests at 16 ,couple o left ,right a crosswalk and parralell park (in the village) have a nice day. and I'm told the test in the US is even easier.The problem SCOT47 is that out in the sticks its not a luxury its essential to find a job.,, I just wish the younger generation wouldn't drink n drive as its "bad" out this way..most weekends another accident or death due to DD. god help us when "dope" becomes legal.

scrubbedexpat091

The amount of drivers who dont turn their lights on so the tail lights are on in poor weather is crazy.

I see dozens a day on the way home from work.

Weird thing is when I was in WA state I saw nobody without tail lights on in the rain and the few cars I did see without tail lights on had BC plates.

Danny B

Sometimes mistakes happen.

I once got into an unfamiliar rental vehicle at Vancouver airport and drove to Squamish in pitch black with only the day time running lights on. I presumed it had auto on/off headlights. Not one person flashed me to warn me.

Now every time I see a car driving at night with no rear lights on I think back to this and flash them with my high beams 10x or more. Sometimes I overtake them and turn my lights on/off so they get the message. They almost always thank me with a flash of their headlights.

plasticcanuck

There are probably many people who jump into rental vehicles and do not spend even five minutes familiarizing themselves themselves with an unfamiliar vehicle. Perhaps rental companies should hang a card from the rear window mirror suggesting drivers take some time to understand the vehicle.

dbd33

I suppose it depends how slowly you were going. If it was less than the posted speed limit then you would doubtless have a queue of cars behind you dithering about overtaking. If I was on the way to work then, yes, I'd pass you all. 60 mph is the allowable speed where the road is posted 80 kph so I pass cars going more slowly than that (and I mean 60 on the cruise control, not 60 on the flat straight bits).