Standards of driving in Canada
 

I despair at the quality of driving in the Ottawa region. I saw a thread with Rae and ExMetCop in it indicating they are Police officers so I'd like their opinion as well as anyone else on BE.
The general standard of driving here is poor in my opinion. Every day you see someone who is driving on high beam, or at night only on day notice lights. You will see someone with the car halfway across a stop line. You'll see someone who is wandering between the two lines and can't keep their car parallel to them, or is tailgating terrifyingly close. You will see someone dashing out of a junction in front of you. Speeding, texting and emailing is the norm. A colleague of mine openly admits to browsing the web on his iPhone while driving. There is no courtesy whatsoever. If you give way to someone they will just drive away without a wave or acknowledging your consideration. I would like to ask the next one to pull in front of me causing me to brake - would he have done that had I been standing in line in a Timmies? Of course not - so why does the anonymity of a car make them think it's acceptable? There seems to be no pride in peoples driving quality.
So I'd like to ask - how come the quality is so poor? Is it because Canada has so many immigrants from different countries bringing different driving standards? Is it because the Police are too overworked to catch offenders of minor offenses? Have the Police been told to turn a blind eye to minor offenses in order to only concentrate on major ones? Is the Police force under manned, under resourced and under financed?
Anyway - rant over, anyone got anything to add?

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

From my experience in and around BC, Alberta, Ontairo, and Quebec, I can definitely say that driving habits vary depending on where you are in Canada.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I have no idea why Canadian drivers are so bad.

This week's driving has seen

Today I signalled to turn left at the lights in order to turn into the parking lot for a strip mall. The lanes on my side of the road were down to one due to construction so I pulled forwards to let the cars behind me out. When there was a gap in the oncoming traffic I went to turn but couldn't because some woman had driven into the left hand lane....So I was stuck in the middle. A police officer just watched.

I was tailgated almost all the way into town, she was so close you couldn't see her lights.

A truck pulled out onto the road from the left, in front of me, the driver braked suddenly and then moved onto the shoulder, he pulled out again once I had passed and then tailgated me.

A minivan turned left at the lights in front of an car transporter which fortunately was empty otherwise it may not have stopped in time.

A man pulled out over a stop sign in front of me. Three way stop, I had right of way.

Coming home I was behind a farm vehicle, waiting until the was a broken yellow line and clear sight of the road before I overtook. The car behind me just went over the double yellows and overtook us both.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

Ya' think them Canucks are bad? Come to Mexico!

Here, there is not even a driving test - you just pay the license fee and away you go. It's like playing dodgems - most people can make the car go forward and that's about it.

MOT/safety test? Ya' gotta' be kidding!! If you ever wondered where all the US and Canadian clunkers end up...they're down here! Including clunker school buses, clunker fire engines, clunker dustbin lorries etc etc.

Canada is an orderly paradise as far as I am concerned.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

It's cos they all drive automatics and are therefore driving babies.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

Here in Edmonton, the standards are ridiculous.
People cutting right across 3 or 4 lane highways at the very last moment before they exit, the use of "traffic circles" is just down right dangerous, and tailgating I find to be a problem also... even when the conditions are really poor.
You cant blame that on automatics/manuals- it's just poor driving.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

absolutely 100% right - absolutely appalling.
- no concept of fast/slow lane on the highway (not even in their highway code)
-edging forwards at the traffic lights, and ending up halfway over the line on a red light.
-stopping over a pedestrian crossing
-what is the point of having the lines at junctions 6 feet away from the actual junction?
-they fail to use slip roads when joining main roads.
have you seen them attempt a roundabout?!?
and you are also correct about the 'courtesy wave' - if you let someone cut in, for example, nothing, nada - how rude.
maybe it's just Ottawa?!?

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I do though. Auto's give you no feel for the car, the engine, or any connection with the road. Driving a manual transmission at some point in your life will make you a better driver than those who have not.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I think they're bad sure, but I saw my fair share of idiots on British roads too man.

I've only been cut up once in Ottawa so far, it used to happen every week back home.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

Edmonton drivers are ridiculous, I never met sooo many people on the roads who just cut you up or pull out without looking in the mirrors. And of course on Highway 2 you get the slow people clogging up the fast lane. Tailgating is another issue and speeding around everywhere, so some of the accidents that happen around here really don't surprise me.

My other half also often complains about rude drivers, guy in a pick up cut him up one day coming home from work, my other half beeped at him and the guy suddenly moved over into a gravel/dirt in the road spraying all this up over OH's car, then swerved out again.

It's just rude, careless drivers who don't take their time in my opinion.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I don't think canadian drivers are rude (brits are far ruder and much more aggressive in my experience). I just think they drive badly because they are incompetent.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

It's not just Ottawa, believe me Vancouver is just as bad, I could write a novel;) about the insane drivers that I have encountered here:frown:

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I have a list just a long as the ones above, this week I have seen the car in front of me mount a central reservation as he was reading a paper.

Was pulling of the 417 at carp road and was cut up by a Hummer who wanted to get in front of me (maybe 4 inches at highway speeds)

And this morning when it was foggy I opted to take quite back roads past Scociabank place as opposed to the 417 as fog+tailgating+ottawa drivers was just not worth the risk!

What grates is the urgency to get somewhere round here, into work in the morning, then when in the office I see none of the urgency! (maybe to go get a timmies)

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I regularly drive between Canada and the Mexico ports of entry (Laredo TX, San Diego Ca, Etc) and in fairness the standard of driving is pretty much as poor everywhere in North America. The one positive point is that i personally feel that this is not due to malicious intent and pure selfishness as one finds in the UK but rather straight forward lack of roadcraft and skill. When a native driver fails to acknowledge a courtesy or does something foolish it is not usually to get the better of you but simply because they don't know any better. This is of course a small consolation sometimes.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I can confirm that:frown:
One of the biggest problem is lack of good street lights the amount
of times I have nearly hit a pedestrian is scary, and I have good eyesight:confused:

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I find this too - when i used to pull people over for tailgating me in a marked police car! they were completely oblivious to what they had done, I would always get the same blank look. Mind you, some of the guys I work with are worse!

What irks me is everyone on the hwy driving the exact same speed in every lane!

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

You've gotta love the 417 through Ottawa. Its the Hotel California out there as once you get on you can never leave - cause no ****** will let you off it.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

Driving at 100kph just 4 feet from the car in front, but when you arrive at red lights, leaving a 30 foot gap. Which you then spend the cycle of the lights closing. A couple of inches at a time.

Most North American cars could be sold with just "D" and "R" in the gearbox. Most people have no use for "N", "1" or "2"... and only "P" when the engine is turned off.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

It's the opposite!
The police are far too over worked catching offenders of minor (traffic) offenses, that they fail to see the real dangerous, accident causing morons out there on roads.
The standard of driving here is abysmal:thumbdown:

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

Bus and coach drivers are some of my pet peeves.

I regularly have TTC buses tailgaiting me when I'm driving up to 10kph over the legal speed limit on regular roads, and when I asked a bus driver why they need to speed he repilied that the schedules are too tight and they can be penalised for being late to turn.

Go Transit, Greyhound and Coach Canada coaches are some of the worst offenders for speeding, as I've lost count of the number of times a coach has passed me doing 20-30kph above the speed limit. Also when they go from the kerb lane to the on-ramp just to pass 3 or 4 vehicles before rejoining the the kerb lane again where cars have to yield to let them in.

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That reminds me of another blood boiling moment, was doing the limit on the 417 only be overtaken by a SCHOOL BUS doing probably 120! Where do they get those drivers?? Disneyland?

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Ditto just about every comment on here for Kelowna too. Today we witnessed 4 different near misses on the same stretch of road where vehicles were overtaking on double yellows.
Agree with above comment about buses and coaches and huge semi drivers who also seem intent on riding your trunk even though you are already over the speed limit. Worse still when it's minus god knows what and the roads are dangerous yet the distance and speed remain the same. :eek:

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I could just go on and on about this! another example - stretch of rural road (March road) Friday morning 9:15 am, dropped daughter off at daycare and on my way to work, doing 70 as told there have been some police about!

Semi comes up behind me and tailgates so close I cannot see his plate, then he starts yanking the chain! FFS

What is wrong with these drivers?

Don't get me started on the Drink Drive mentality!

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

Hasn't anyone every told you guys that no one else in the world can drive?

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

They can drive, just very badly.

One of the contestants on this season's Canada' Worst Driver in India just just by being able to start the car. :ohmy: He says he's never had any instruction, and it shows in his driving.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

Do you mean Canada's worst driver in India or India's worst driver in Canada?

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

the driving is poor in winnipeg, they are rude and aggressive and do not plan ahead so have to cut you up to avoid disaster!

mind you there are a large number of expats in winnipeg!

the thing that tickles me is that on a general basis canadians are very friendly and earnest, but they appear to completely change when they get behind the wheel:eek:

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I think its down to being very laid back. Moved to Ireland and they're exactly the same, terrible. In London i think the threat of a screw driver being waved in your face makes people drive a bit better.

Ireland and Vancouver are the only places ive seen people indicate one way and turn the other... regularly. :)

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I reckon the cops turn a blind eye to bus drivers. I took a bus from Montreal to Ottawa a couple of years ago. From the QC/ON border to Ottawa is 120km. The bus did it in less than an hour. Highway 417 is heavily policed.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I sometimes fear that I lower the standard of driving in Ontario. I usually go at the posted speed limit in miles though sometimes much faster. One night this week I noticed that I was going 120mph on a country road, I suppose the limit is 50. I habitually telephone and text on my handheld device while driving, sometimes I boot up the PC and read email. I occasionally have a glass of wine while driving though, as a rule, that's only when going out to shoot beer cans; not much of that trip is on public roads.

I do, however, generally know which lane I'm in and I know how long the car is, I can park it. Perhaps, on balance I'm average.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I don't think "average" is quite the right word.

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to the o/p i don't think its poor drivers here, just a much lower standard than you have been used to. we are champagne drivers in the UK, now awash with brown ale. tis the nature of things. thanks for asking for my input anyway for what it is.

oh and i get it as much as anybody, even while working, folk are just oblivious.

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I followed a van this morning for about 8-10km. The van driver was on the brakes every 5-10 seconds during that distance, because s/he was only about 4 feet from the car in front.

It never occurred to him/her just to drop back a little bit and give his brakes (and my eyes) a rest.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I agree to a large extent.

I had had the "pleasure" of being driven long distances by many Canadian drivers. And my summary is that they simply (all of them) fail to look ahead to see what is going on. There is no preparation or anticipation of what might happen.

So they pull in or pull out at the last minute, even though we've had about two minutes warning that the truck ahead of us is going at a slower speed, or that the turn off is 2km away (these are dead straight roads after all, it ain't difficult!).

They do drive right up the bum of the car in front and then pull out wildly trying to get past (because it never occurred to them to think about 20 seconds before hand). And as a passenger, I participate in much head bobbing and psuedo whiplash movements as they brake too hard.

And then there is the obligatory phone and the Timmies. I would put my head back and close my eyes to doze if I wasn't so stressed ;)

I offer to drive quite a lot :p

Having said that, my two best friends in the UK are exactly as described above and are pretty awful drivers. My dad taught me really well, and then I've done police courses. But it really is not that hard to look a few hundred meters up the road.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I've taken they keys from one friend after being a passenger in her car.

Actually I think blissful ignorance of how to drive helps them get by when driving in the winters here. If they realised everything that they should be doing then, well, there would be a brain fart.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I will agree with all of the above except.;)

I learned to drive here as did my wife who is "a cradle Canadian" and we do not drive this way. We complain loudly about those that do but we don't over simplify it and say "all" a lot perhaps maybe even most but not all.. :sneaky:

We also have a friend who is a very smart person (has a doctorate) she is from the UK refuses to drive anything but a standard, she would be classed as one of your "all", she is bloody useless as a driver no pre-planning no positional awareness whatsoever, turns at the last minute, comes almost to a stop to change lanes because she is too close to her turn and in the wrong lane, just an atrocious driver who thinks she is doing extremely well and complains equally loudly about others inabilities as she sees them.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I really have no problem with the drivers around me... They may tailgate occasionally, but no worse than in the UK and at slower speeds.

They may be inconsiderate sometimes, but mostly they are happy to let people into a line up etc, and that seldom happened in the UK

I dont get it. Its not just the traffic density here either cos they drive FM batty, and shes just up the road from me. It was probably me that overtook her on the yellow line though....If its safe to pass, pass already. The solid line is a guide if you are going at 80, not 20kmh, Far as I know the law about unsafe passing says nothing at all about the line, its just a guide as to if its safe or not;)




I bumped into a brit recently who was a driving instructor here....I bit my tongue! Having said that "Canada's Worst Driver" is an eye opener as to what's out there, although obviously they are the extreme (I hope!). Probably just as bad in the UK though, but in the UKs defence I would think everyone is used to dealing with traffic. Here you could grow up on the country and have no idea how to deal with it when and if you move to the city.

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She overtook before a bend, you couldn't see what was coming. These drivers can risk their own necks but I don't want to be part of a pile up caused by their stupidity. I see enough of the effects of bad driving at work to be driven batty when I see it on the roads.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

I've seen some pretty bad standards of driving in the UK too especially "oop Norf", but you see it less often because a lot of the traffic is bumper to bumper.

There is almost a Jekyll and Hyde quality to Canadian drivers. Drive in any small town Ontario setting, and the scene is almost idyllic with slow moving pick ups and cars - but those same ppl turn into tailgating speeding nutters once they get on the 401 entry ramp.

Living in Mississauga, I make no apology for racially profiling drivers who appear in my rear view mirror. A lot of the drivers have no concept of Stop Sign behaviour, and I've had some close shaves with folks who don't know how to use brakes. The worst drivers are Chinese in my humble skewed opinion.

I do agree with an earlier poster who made reference to lack of manual transmission drivers. Driver awareness is definitely encouraged by the need to ensure choreography of clutch, gear and speed for appropriate traffic conditions.

Re: Standards of driving in Canada
 

When I went back to UK in the spring I was pleasantly surprised by the driving. The M1, M11, A19 and A1 were a delight compared to the 401. Even round Lakenheath with all those American drivers was better than here.