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Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by iaink
(Post 8881986)
Only an idiot would get caught in that situation more than once wouldnt they?:confused:
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Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by dbd33
(Post 8881485)
I think this is probably why people do not signal when changing lanes on Canadian motorways, if you do plan a move into a gap and signal your intent, that just gives warning to the driver behind to close the gap. At least if you don't signal then you have a fair chance at finding the space still there when you move into it.
Signalled or not, I find moving into the centre lane on motorways to be dangerous. Given that anyone can drive at any speed in any lane, there are often people moving out from the right lane to overtake at the same time as someone else moves right into the centre to undertake a dawdler in the left lane. Given the proximity of the cars and the latteral nature of their movement, signalling is of no help. It rather baffles me that Canadians, who so love to have most aspects of their lives regulated by the government, haven't cottoned on to the convention of overtaking on one side or the other. Many of them have been to America so you'd think they'd have seen the convenience of driving on a road where most drivers are grudgingly conforming to convention. I also agree with some of the other OPs on here where they say driving an automatic coupled with and stopping starting all the time, does not give them a good feel of the road and its flow - like islands do in the UK (as long as they dont out traffice lights on them -but theres another story!) Top and bottom of it is driving on a motorway like the M6 in the UK is far less dangerous than drving on the 401! I feel UK drivers are far more aware of there surroundings, bt I still dont understand if your on a two lane road and you signal to pull across why other drivers WILL NOT let you in. So the answer is It seems.....dotn signal - something that if you did in the UK - is a hanging offence and rightly so! well maybe hanging is a bit extreme.;) |
Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by ctraveler
(Post 8881496)
Have you driven in an Urban centre in the UK recently?? People cut corners, rarely ever signal, have very little concept of overtaking safely and a serious lack of courtesy as well. The amount of men that I have seen give fingers to, roll windows down to, or even get out and get aggresive with other drivers including women with small children in the car is all too common place. Not to mention the empty (for the most part) bus lanes, the incredibly poorly maintained roads, the tiny parking spaces and that people are able to park on opposing sides of the road and on corners.
I don't know what traffic is like in the GTA as I have only every lived in Western Canada but it is far worse than any traffic in London or Manchester. Traffic on a Sunday morning??? Traffic at 2am?? Never in Canada, regularly in the UK. I agree that the speed limits can be a bit :blink: but the UK is slowly heading in that direction. Speed cameras everywhere, constant calls for lowering speed limits etc. Mind you with all the traffic it can be difficult to get up to any sort of nice cruising speed unlike the nice wide open Canadian Motorways. |
Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by iaink
(Post 8881986)
Only an idiot would get caught in that situation more than once wouldnt they?:confused: Where there are two lanes and one has the option to turn left, its probably safe to assume someone in the queue is going to. Pick the other lane. Especially if its a route you travel frequently.
Im beginning to suspect some people that post here just like to complain. Anything will do. |
Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by Alan2005
(Post 8882090)
I'm talking about a situation where the light is red, and there are one or two cars waiting in each lane. People do the same turning right too (and you may still have to wait if there are pedestrians) - what are you supposed to do, guess which direction people are heading?
In my limited experience it nearly always takes longer for people to turn left across traffic then it does to turn right with pedestrians (or on a red). Just seems natural to stick to the right, even if the line is longer and there are buicks and small hondas present. 9 times out of 10 its faster. There are a couple of spots on my daily commute where if someone is turning left at the lights, its quicker to wait behind 20 cars in the right hand lane. I just find the complaining about canadian drivers lacks substance , they are no worse than the UK in my experience. You can counter poor lane discipline (not a legal requirement here after all) and lack of indicating in Canada, with aggressive driving and lack of courtesy on UK roads. There are bad drivers and good drivers in both places, although there seems to be a lot more focus on curbing speeders in the UK in the years since I left, and perhaps things have improved as a result. Jinks made a good point about how wide straight roads and cars with auto transmissions and cruise control tends to conditions drivers here to be less aware of whats going on. With a stick shift you tend to look farther ahead and try and anticipate what gear you need to be in, and that probably leads to more aware driving overall. |
Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by iaink
(Post 8882111)
If you are driving in an unfamiliar area thats different, but no reason to get caught out by this more than once in a place you drive often.
In my limited experience it nearly always takes longer for people to turn left across traffic then it does to turn right with pedestrians (or on a red). Just seems natural to stick to the right, even if the line is longer and there are buicks and small hondas present. 9 times out of 10 its faster. There are a couple of spots on my daily commute where if someone is turning left at the lights, its quicker to wait behind 20 cars in the right hand lane. I just find the complaining about canadian drivers lacks substance , they are no worse than the UK in my experience. You can counter poor lane discipline (not a legal requirement here after all) and lack of indicating in Canada, with aggressive driving and lack of courtesy on UK roads. There are bad drivers and good drivers in both places, although there seems to be a lot more focus on curbing speeders in the UK in the years since I left, and perhaps things have improved as a result. |
Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Another perspective of courteous driving in Canada.....
I used to have a visitors from Montreal every year (vendors coming to call) who never failed to be delighted at the fact that traffic in St. John's would stop to let them cross the road to their hotel. In Montreal apparently, they aim at you on the pavement.;) |
Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by iaink
(Post 8882111)
I just find the complaining about canadian drivers lacks substance
Originally Posted by iaink
(Post 8882111)
lane discipline (not a legal requirement here after all)
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Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by Paul_Shepherd
(Post 8882054)
Yes I agree with most of what your saying here about UK driving, speed cameras, aggressive driving and road rage, but my point is how people will not let you across into another lane, its almost bloody mindedness! and has caused me to miss turnings just because I cant get across to the relevant lane! road rage aside most drivers in the UK people would allow you to move across.
Not a criticism just an observation.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...ilies/wink.gif |
Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
i find male drivers are like women drivers back home...and women drivers are like old grannies and rude ones at that.
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Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by dbd33
(Post 8881485)
I think this is probably why people do not signal when changing lanes on Canadian motorways, if you do plan a move into a gap and signal your intent, that just gives warning to the driver behind to close the gap. At least if you don't signal then you have a fair chance at finding the space still there when you move into it.
Originally Posted by iaink
(Post 8882111)
I just find the complaining about canadian drivers lacks substance , they are no worse than the UK in my experience. You can counter poor lane discipline (not a legal requirement here after all) and lack of indicating in Canada, with aggressive driving and lack of courtesy on UK roads. There are bad drivers and good drivers in both places, although there seems to be a lot more focus on curbing speeders in the UK in the years since I left, and perhaps things have improved as a result.
My own view, for what it's worth, is that Canadians in general are not as good drivers as British drivers. They are, however, generally more courteous and less prone to road rage. I believe the driving standards are a product of the rules of the road in Canada. I also don't believe the law is enforced nearly as much here as in the UK. All of this leads to systemic low driving standards. |
Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by John_B
(Post 8882270)
I believe the driving standards are a product of the rules of the road in Canada. I also don't believe the law is enforced nearly as much here as in the UK. All of this leads to systemic low driving standards.
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Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
The roads here are great, nice and straight, wide (even in the built up areas) plenty of stop signs, loads of traffic signals, turning right on a red, low speed limits, no speed cameras, parking lots all over the place.
Perfect for my line of work, and make it so much easier to follow people. 10/10 for me :thumbup: And black tinted windows are the norm here. :thumbsup: |
Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by magnumpi
(Post 8882337)
The roads here are great, nice and straight, wide (even in the built up areas) plenty of stop signs, loads of traffic signals, turning right on a red, low speed limits, no speed cameras, parking lots all over the place.
Perfect for my line of work, and make it so much easier to follow people. 10/10 for me :thumbup: And black tinted windows are the norm here. :thumbsup: |
Re: Courteous driving in Canada?
Originally Posted by jimf
(Post 8882454)
I wonder if it's an offence to warn other drivers of a speed trap here?
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