Piff Poff

Driving in Canada is a frequently asked question, with new drivers worrying about the test and the regular debate on Canadians being worse drivers than those taught in the UK.

My Daughter has recently completed drivers ed' and today passed her test The test involved driving around town, a parallel park and a parking on a hill.

There was no dual carriageway type driving, no reversing around the corner, no emergency stop, no roundabout (there is one in Red Deer), no hill start, yet she is now licensed to drive. Honestly, it's a worry.

haggis88

i've heard its just Albertans who are terrible drivers!

but yeah, it does seem super easy to get a license over here compared to the rigmarole we have to go through in the UK!

JBJ14

And after driving for 20 years, I'm going to have to sit the same test as I only have an Aus license. Sounds easy enough then

cheeky_monkey

im guessing its because nobody knows how to use a roundabout..and also most cars are automatics and have an automatic clutch so no need for any of that hill start stuff as it does not apply.

Any way there is no debate between Canadian driving and UK driving..Canadians are just shit drivers end of.

cherryj

I've been driving in Calgary for about a month now, and witnessed some *terrible* driving! Honestly, people just don't seem to look before they swerve into the next lane.... :/

Alan2005

I actually did a driving test in BC a few years ago. I drove around some streets for 20 minutes and that was it. I didn't do any of the parking or reversing manoeuvres or anything like that (well apart from parking back at the test centre). The test was so short that I assumed I'd royally ****ed up and was just being put out of my misery, but no I passed. This was supposedly at one of the more difficult (by reputation) test centres in Vancouver

snowcandy

The thought of our 18 year old behind the wheel here terrifies me, the fact that our 10 year could in theory be behind the wheel in 4 years is even worse...though that ain't gonna happen.

Alberta drivers are the worst I have ever experienced. Just about every day there seems to be a fatal accident around here, just another one last night

Piff Poff

But you saying that, she could go out tomorrow and buy a standard and then drive to Sylvan lake where there IS a decent sized roundabout... No seriously I get why they don't do hill starts and roundabouts, I was just surprised there were no reversing round corners, three point turns etc, she is already worrying about parking at school as she has to fit inside the yellow lines which in her words "I'm crap at that!"

Alan2005

Go to a supermarket and practice with her for an hour or so.

Piff Poff

That is the plan, she hasn't driven HER car yet (bless her she hasn't even SEEN it yet) so I do plan on being with her when she does drive it the first time and I will take her to a car park and try not to get run over

HPJOS

Sign her up for an advanced drivers course with the AMA. If you wait a month or so she can take winter driving too. They are not overly cheap but are accredited courses and (from what a friend tells me whose son did one) save on insurance costs.

Helen

Piff Poff

She had her first batch of lessons in January, so lots of snow around , I haven't taught her, we paid for an instructor, not AMA because they were far too expensive, so she does get her insurance discount.

JonboyE

I took my test in Langley. No roundabouts there but the examiner took me on a dual carriageway. He took me around town and by a school zone and a playground zone. He made me parallel park and reverse in a straight line. No emergency stop because a kid jumped out into the road halfway through the test and I managed to avoid killing her.

He told me I was an idiot for taking the test in a standard because it just gave him 80% more chances to fail me.

cheeky_monkey

i doubt that should be an issue...most women dont seem to understand that those lines are there for parking in between anyway

MillieF

I've been driving since Adam met Eve and I'm still a crap parker. I would like to do a course for driving in snow, The idea terrifies me.