Driving in Canada
 

Inspired by hk1012's post, how about a thread on how driving in Canada differs from driving in the UK?

To start, the things I found unusual when I first drove in Canada were all the stop signs. I understand that you absolutely have to stop at them, even if no one else is around. If there are several cars, the first person to have stopped moves off first.

Bear in mind that school buses have stop signs on the doors. If you overtake one that is dropping children off, the rozzers wopuld not be at all happy.

Also, in Ontario one is allowed to turn right on a red light, as long as it is safe to do so. You can't do so in Quebec.

Oh, and traffic lights (in Ontario, at least) go straight from red to green, without passing through amber.

There are also stringent rules about not having open bottles of alcohol within reach of the driver (perhaps even anywhere but the boot / trunk).

Any more?

Re: Driving in Canada
 

In downtown Montreal you are not allowed to turn right on a red but I am sure you are allowed to do it in the suburbs. At least that was going on when I was last there in August. The turn right on a red was introduced within the last couple of years in Quebec

Re: Driving in Canada
 

Hope this helps, Road Signs in Ontario ;)

Re: Driving in Canada
 

Having now looked through the drivers handbook for Alberta, I can say that here in the UK I've never come across signs permitting/not permitting motorized snow vehicles, or moose crossings! :cool:
I also think I'm going to be a bit confused about flashing red and amber lights, which seem to me to mean exactly the same things as a steady red or amber light?hmm.

Re: Driving in Canada
 

I don't understand the differce between static and flashing red or amber lights either. Anyone able to explain...?

Re: Driving in Canada
 

The lights are turned "off" at some intersections in Calgary overnight ... the main street gets flashing amber, the side street gets flashing red. The flashing red acts as a stop sign ... unlike a solid red, you get to drive through if nothing else is coming.

Re: Driving in Canada
 

Ahhh. Slightly clearer now, cheers. ;)

Re: Driving in Canada
 

Some rules are slightly odd ... you get used to them ....

Re: Driving in Canada
 

NOT IN ONTARIO

Flashing Red is a stop sign, you must stop, or at least come to a "rolling stop" if you know what I mean.

Flashing Amber is a warning that there is a cross roads or T junction, and that you could be hit from the side if some bozo ignores the flashing red that is facing their direction

Trafic lights in Ontario

Red...STOP
Green ...GO
Amber...STOP IF SAFE TO DO SO, in practice gun it to get through before it goes red;)
Flashing Green...known as an advanced green, means you can go , but the trafic facing you cant, so its safe to make a left turn in front of them.
Green Arrow means the same thing as Flashing green, except that you cannot go straight on, only on the direction of the arrow (left in practice), as the trafic facing you is also getting the green safe to turn arrow.

However, UNLESS INDICATED OTHERWISE, you can make a right turn at a Red light if safe to do so.

Also, SCHOOL BUSES

Not just overtaking, if it is coming towards you too you must stop too.

You cannot pass a school bus that is stopped with its lights flashing, EVEN IF ITS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A 4 LANE DUAL CARRIAGE WAY, UNLESS THERE IS A SOLID DIVIDER BARRIER (eg a wall) BETWEEN THE TRAFFIC FLOWS.

Any school bus offence is more than likely to have people on their cell phones reporting you to the cops, and will incure a 6 point penalty and big $$$ fine. It simply is NOT tolerated here. Speeding by more than about 5-10kmh in a school zone is also a big no no.

Iain

Re: Driving in Canada
 

Smartass ... I said it acted like a STOP sign ...

Normally you can't drive through a red even if nothing else is coming, unless you're turning right or left into a one way street in Alberta ... unless that's different in Ontario too :eek:

Re: Driving in Canada
 

I think that iaink read your original message like I did - that you could simply drive through the flashing red light. It seems that one has to stop first and then drive through (if it is safe to do so, blah blah blah).

Re: Driving in Canada
 

Sorry, I misread/misunderstood your first post :o . Legally you have to come to a complete stop before proceeding at a flashing red, just dont wait for it to go green:) In practice most people do a "rolling stop" if nothing is there, almost but not quite stopping, but some hardass cops will ticket you for it on a bad day.

Please dont put me on your ignore list :p

Iain

Re: Driving in Canada
 

Yes it is different in Ontario - you can turn right on red if its safe to do so irrespective of the type of road you are turning into and provided it is not signed to say you can't turn on red.
Oh and you confused me too with the flashing and steady red thing - steady red I have only seen on 'normal' traffic lights but flashing red hung at the centre of the junction and flashing all four ways at the same time means the same as a 4 way stop sign but is usually found on an unlit out of town junction.
Mike

Re: Driving in Canada
 

I've never seen one of those in Alberta - there's one near the hospital in Oakville and I always thought it looked kinda quaint .... something left over from the days when someone had to walk with a red flag ahead of the vehicle.

Re: Driving in Canada
 

As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list--I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed--who never would be missed!

W.S.Gilbert