this_

Hi All, I am new here and yes this is another I want to emigrate post but I have a very particular reason.

So in Britain driving is becoming a bit miserable. Average speed cameras are going live and breeding like rats everywhere (or soon to be everywhere). Keeping within the speed limits was not a bad idea but they're lowering the speed limits too and not only in city centers or nearby roads but also on those lovely country roads that used to be NSL (60 mph) once and now 40/50 mph. When it was NSL, you didn't really need to exceed the speed limit to enjoy driving on those roads. In short I am starting to hate driving here, every other politician who comes into power, starts targeting motorists. As an example tune into a UK radio station and listen to the news you'll realise that one of their main focus is to force people to use more public transport and reduce cars. They want to make roads narrower and put speed cameras on instead of address the actual issues that cause congestion (i.e. poor design). Also have a look at all the new VED, diesel taxation talk. The idea is that you shouldn't drive your car unless you really need to and someone like me drives around for no reason other than the fun of it.

This is what I know:

Pros of Canada:

- High performance cars
- Less speed cameras
- Cars are a very important part of life (Does your govt tell you cars are very bad for you and that you must stop driving?)
- Cheaper fuel
- No MOT just emissions test. Safety test only needed when selling/buying a car (not that I want to run an unsafe car on the road but still not worrying about MOT is somewhat a positive)
- Long wide open roads as well as twisty ones
- Better for snow sports
- Car parts are cheaper and an easier access to US market
- Tools are cheaper
- Many houses come with a drive that you can use to work on your car

Cons of Canada:
- Much higher car insurance rates
- Housing prices similar or more expensive depending on province
- I will not have my UK job
- Less holidays from work (I don’t care much, I live to work and don’t mind long working hours to achieve something)
- Canadian income tax is equal or higher than UK (I haven’t looked much into this bit yet)
- I will have to do a PEng

Pros of UK:
- My career/job (Most heavily weighing positive point)
- Car insurance cheaper than Canada however still expensive for a young driver

Cons of UK:
- Constantly being told you shouldn’t use cars
- Speed cameras everywhere
- Housing market
- Not much snow sports, you have to go to France for that.
- Low performance cars (makes up for the expensive fuel)


I want to settle in Alberta or BC, these provinces seem to have more engineering jobs however I might be wrong. Without going into too much detail about myself on the internet I have a degree from a well-known University. The only good thing for me in the UK is my job. I landed my dream job that almost any graduate of my profession would dream of. I like my work but the minute I step back out of my work place I feel miserable. Either this country is so poor that it is targeting the already financially stretched UK motorists or it just wants everyone to use public transport and stop driving. Soon we will be using donkeys and horses again.

I am aware it is not easy to move to Canada, there are two routes for me because of my age and the points test. However I still think the chance of me immigrating to Canada are slim. This is a long term goal and I am not asking on what the immigration process is, I am asking what is Canada like for car enthusiasts/drivers? I have only been to Canada once and I liked it and the culture of using your car to go everywhere. However one short trip is not enough to make an informed decision. So before I invest my time and money into this I want your opinion, especially those of you that might love cars and driving like I do. In a way if you think I am being irrational, I would like you to discourage me and maybe the UK isn't as bad as I think but if what I have said has any weight to it then I want to get out of this place. Thank you for your input.

R I C H

Not irrational, but simplistic.

geoff52

This is a very novel post. I don't know if Canadians are in love with their cars.
Because of distances and lack of public transport car is essential in Canada.
So in order to just buy some milk I will have to drive to the shop.
However when I am in the UK, I can just walk to the doctor, shops, pub or take a bus which have frequent service.
I love living in Canada, but I enjoy walking to all the amenities in the UK. So everywhere has pros and cons.

R I C H

I'll add that if you enjoy watching live (or participating in) motorsport events, Canada pales into comparison to Europe. The distances between events/tracks are vast, the population geographically dispersed and small. I used to enjoy easy access to Silverstone, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch etc. National rally events, motocross, track racing was available every weekend to me in the UK, or short flights to watch MotoGP at Mugello or wherever else on the continent. Here, it's much more limited and less accessible.

Mike Gas

YOU BET

JonboyE

For the most part speed limits in BC are the same or lower than the UK.

scilly

how do the penalties for being caught speeding compared with the penalties in the UK?

Losing your license here has more impact because of the lack of transit in many areas.

dbd33

I don't think there's a great deal of interest in cars here. Most sunny days I see one Ferrari, one Audi R10 and 300 griege minivans. I love going home for the chance to drive quickly; around the M25.

scilly

well, you obviously don't live in BC

More high value super speed mega expensive cars are sold here than almost anywhere else in the world!

There are several guys who are known to have 3 or 4 $250,000 cars in their garages ...... "which one shall we use today, dearest?


Being serious .........

.......... we see every make of super car on the streets. BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Ferrari are almost too common to even notice!


We also hear quite regularly about young men being caught for speeding or racing at well over the speed limit ........... immediate loss of car for week(s) or even month, court case, fine, possible loss of driving license, etc etc

raindropsandroses

We have to have yearly safety testing here in PEI, though we're moving shortly so its something I need to check for our new province.

I do sometimes laugh to myself about the speed limits here, when I see an 80 km/h sign on a road with more deep craters than the moon - 80 is fine if you don't mind shredding your tires and tearing your exhaust off.

this_

I don't understand what you mean by simplistic?

In the UK overpowered hatchbacks are available yes but not much American v8 powered cars which is something I like. Also look for an rs200 and then see how many you can find in the uk. Maybe I'm wrong, you're right you can get the same numbers (bhp/torque) in uk but variety seems less.

Yes speed cameras are fixed but can I ask would you prefer to drive in a constant average speed zone constantly looking at your speedometer ? I do marginal under/over speeding due to elevation of the road/traffic around me and get paranoid through these speed cameras. Also we have a lot of mobile speed camera vans and in the past counties used to publish a list of their locations and now they have stopped doing that. When driving in Canada and USA I realised one thing that specially on a highway the police is a little easier to spot if you're paying attention whereas here the mobile units operate at such a position that when you do see them it's much too late. End of the day I am not moving across the ocean to speed, I want to move because being a car enthusiast seems to be discouraged here now, driving as a hobby is discouraged. Is it the same
In Canada ?

Also in regards to housing bit under the cons for uk I meant the shortage of houses and that you get a mould infested small house with no parking space for silly price but that's not something I'm too worried about it was just something else to add on the side.

I don't watch much motorsports other than events like japfest however I go to my local autosolos/cross, is that hard to find in Canada ?

Yes in Canada a car is a necessity but that is something I prefer because over here it feels like the govt really wants us to stop driving. They keep making roads narrower!

this_

I do believe you guys have more chance before you lose your license in regards to demerit points however my purpose to move across the ocean is not to speed. Don't get me wrong I love going fast but I'm more furious at how driving as a hobby or just driving in general is being discouraged here. Just imagine travelling for 100 miles in an average speed zone, regardless of whether you are a speeder or not you will find it annoying. It really is getting to that point where I think our motorways will be covered in these yellow rats. Then add to constantly hearing how cars must be taken off the uk roads.

raindropsandroses

The thing is though car insurance here is expensive enough with a perfect record (touch wood!) and maximum no claims, getting caught speeding would more than double the cost of insurance in our case, its just not worth the risk.

In addition a lot of jobs ask for a clean driving record, a friend of mine was caught just once going 5km over the speed limit and has had a lot of hassle finding a new job because of it, as she doesn't have a clean record anymore despite the fact that her job does not entail driving at all.

I'm not really into cars besides their functional purpose, but all the car enthusiasts in our neck of the woods have suped up pickup trucks with lift kits, or Jeeps with mud wheels etc. There are a few classic car enthusiasts, I know a chap with a stunning Nash Metropolitan, but the good weather driving season is so much shorter here that it doesn't come out much.

R I C H

Your list of pros and cons are simplistic - life is not so black and white as you present. Some of your assumptions are just wrong.

Yes, if a V8 is your thing you'll have more choice here. If gas mileage is also your thing, the 2 together don't equate to saving any money. My last V8 got 18mpg day to day and as low as 10mpg.

I don't think speeding is any more acceptable here, but you've got to realize a lot of the driving is incredibly monotonous. Next week I'm collecting a relative from the airport. It'll be a 750km round trip, which will take around 8 hours along a road that's almost devoid of noteworthy bends. I love bikes and cars, but unless I drive at double the speed limit the journey will be completely dull. If it snows or a moose runs into the road, those will be highlights.

Outside of major urban areas, yes it'll be difficult to find such events to the same degree as the UK.

dbd33

My daughter says that the house across the street has a Bentley and a McClaren in the garage but neither are used. I don't think that indicates an interest in cars, just in having expensive stuff.