DarwinCharles

Hi all,

I'm confused by the information about driving in Alberta. Due to city living, I never bothered to drive (London is short of places to park a car).
What happens if I take my test in the UK and move to Alberta how does it work?
Do I need to have been driving a certain amount of time to get a licence or can I convert it or do I have to re test due to not driving long enough in the UK?

Thank you all

christmasoompa

https://www.alberta.ca/exchange-non-...ces.aspx#toc-3

HTH.

DarwinCharles

Thank you,

Seems a bit of a task to drive in Alberta.
I'd be placed in the Graduate Scheme it appears, depending on a few things. If I don't qualify for that it apoears that learner drivers have to have someone in the car for a year?! for the first year of driving.. How does anyone do that?

Needs a bit of an overhaul. Being a Canadian citizen means needing to drive. I've just never needed to in London, it's far too expensive.

Thank you

Siouxie

Not just Alberta - Graduated Licensing is in every Province in Canada. Why do you believe it needs overhauling - every person in Canada is under the same requirement unless they have previously held a full drivers licence... don't forget they can start driving in Canada at 16. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...a/driving.html

You can usually reduce the accompanied driver to 8 months by attending classes... which may also help with insurance. If you already held a full drivers licence from the UK - and had one for 2 years - you could just swap it... if you have held a Provisional License in the UK you may be able to get 'credit' for some of the driving experience you have.

Once you experience the bad driving here you will be glad that you have had the additional time.

DarwinCharles

Haha.. Yes I hear about that from an Insurance worker I know. The UK is the same, especially London.

Canada isn't the UK and vice versa I know. I'm a citizen of both and the UK test is harder. It's also constantly hazardous in the UK, small roads and always filled with traffic, people and varying hazardous things going on.

We found driving in Alberta much less stressful and required less thinking and less traffic. One person asked if we'd got caught in the Henday rush hour.. We did.. Not a patch on the UK.

Canada also allows driving earlier, which makes sense. Cars are needed and a program for very young people. For those over 21 the 2003 changes place reqs that are unrealistic. Driving 12am to 5am not allowed? After 21, your life can req different needs and after 25 the brain fully develops.. Not for some, granted. I tend to find in the UK, non first world drivers have little respect for the rules because they're not used to the restrictions and red tape.

Learning in the UK isn't easy, it's not the USA. It's basically a full time hazard test. That should be reflected on a country by country basis.
Other countries I see, are singled out because the rules there are so very different but driving here reqs a switched on brain, constantly. Anyone who has driven in London or populous cities here or around the M25 knows the stress.

The GDL is great for people who are not old enough to drive or to be of mind to drive carefully or understand consequences of safety on the road but for someone older, it seems like having a 1st world driving licence means nothing in Canada.

The UK don't place you on a graduate programme 2 yrs and as I say, driving here is stressful and switched on.
I do agree though that a test should be taken for hazardous weathers and how to drive and what to do in the event of breaking down ect.. certainly. The land is vast and uninhabited for miles.
I guess I'm saying common sense application would be better. Over 25s not needed to be placed upon GDL if they have a clean British licence.

Just a thought really.
Darwin

scilly

Did you try driving in mid-winter, in 10' snow, black ice, and twisty roads??????

Even driving in cities can be hazardous in winter, in a very different way from the UK.

What about different rules of the road?

Sorry, I have no patience with people like you who think rules in another country should be changed because you think something isn't necessary!

DarwinCharles

As I said in my post, I absolutely agree that a tough weather test needs to be applied to all who make Canada their home.

Hurlabrick

I too was under the impression that 'if you can drive in the UK, driving in Canada is a breeze' (having learned to drive in UK and done so for over 40 years) - not ashamed to say that I was wrong.

There are 'traps' for the unwary and not just 'driving on the wrong side of the road'! Many of the rules of the road are different (not just 4 way stops) and of course snow and ice.

I personally think the 2 year graduated programme is an excellent idea and would argue that the UK should look at this, regardless of the age of the driver.

Suggest you have a read of the wiki here which also lists some of the key differences.

https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Drive...nces_in_Canada

DarwinCharles

Great stuff... I will take a look for sure!

Thank you for that. I do wonder the insurance cost of the Grad scheme for over 35s.

Thank you
Darwin

Hurlabrick

Exorbitant car insurance costs compared to the UK are one of the financially unpleasant things you will discover I am afraid. That, along with internet and cable / internet TV, house insurance, charges for financial services etc.

But then it is kinda 'swings and roundabouts' with other things cheaper. But as the saying goes 'it is what it is'! :-)

scilly

It's the same for everyone, no matter the age at which you learn to drive. It doesn't matter whether you are native-born Canadian, naturalized, or PR, nor which country you come from.

If you are a non-driver and take your driving lessons and test here, you have to be in the 2-year graduated program, with the need to be accompanied by a licensed drive and not carry any passengers at a certain time.

There are no exceptions to those rules.

Siouxie

This is Canada, not the UK nor anywhere else - I'd suggest getting used to beaurocracy.. it will rule your daily life here. If you can't accept that things are different in this HUGE country, you may have problems settling. You might also recall that this is British Expats - so many of the members will have a) driven in the UK and b) taken their test there (including me - my driving experience was in and around London) never assume you are responding to someone from Canada

If you have a full drivers license and have held it for 2 years (from the UK) then you SWAP your licence to a (insert Province) full licence - no GDL - it's very simple and nothing to do with your age... it's all about experience.

cheeky_monkey

Depends where you drove in the UK ..I found and do find driving in Canada a breeze compared to the UK..long straight wide roads..double sized parking bays..rush hour well just isn't.. more like s Sunday evening in London..driving in cold snowy conditions is somewhat easier than the UK due to it being dry powered snow ..not the horrible wet stuff you get back home that freezes into sheet ice over night..in fact i find driving here boring and less fun.

DarwinCharles

Yes, I'm a Londoner and an hour to get a mile and hundreds of people and turnings or hazards, roadworks and the wet ice is just dangerous, constantly.
I think this is the only thought I'm making here, it is certain that the level of concentration you need and experience gained is worth something. Even once you've got a license, unless you live in a tiny quiet town, much of the UK is made up of small roads and is gridlocked. You have to think constantly. Alberta is a breeze, having said that, I'd feel safer doing a weather course for Snow seasons.

Darwin

Siouxie

Which is why, provided you have held a full license for 2 years you can exchange your license for a full Alberta license - no GDL required.
https://www.alberta.ca/exchange-non-...-licences.aspx