Emigre

I am from London, as I am sure some people on this forum are as well, and anyone from here or who has driven here on a regular basis will know that there are a number of nutters on the roads who either don't believe in signalling, or believe that there is a constant need to drive at high speeds, or that 'tailgating' is a perfectly normal split-second gap between bumpers.

To me, this reflects a culture that is becoming increasingly impatient. A culture that expects everything in an instant and that any kind of waiting is too long, and consideration for other drivers is just not necessary because, as it goes, a Londoner is responsible to their own self only and sod everyone else .

As a number of forum users here are from a variety of Canadian cities, and given that the car is king in Canada [from what I have read anyway] what are the driving habits generally like in this regard? Of course, when I mention London's problems not ALL drivers are such but there are certainly plenty of them about.

Just wondered how Canadian habits compared in your experience.

G77

Pulls up a chair for this one.....

dbd33

Having driven in and around Toronto for years I now find the M25 to be blissful. Not only London but Chicago and, indeed, all American cities with the exception of NYC now seem havens of courtesy, discipline and competence.

(Well, maybe, the who-goes-first-at-this-corner puzzle in Boston is less than relaxing.)

bazzz

I didn't read this properly and just assumed you were talking about Canada. You'll go mental out here. The "number of nutters" is in fact everyone apart from British Expats (who are apparently paragons of driving virtue).

G77

It wasn't until the end that it was obvious that it was London, England he was referring to and not London, Ontario....

Emigre

Well I sure as hell was not expecting this response...do they have any 'road rage' problems in Canada as well? Swearing, shouting, fighting etc....given that Canadians are always considered a polite bunch?

I know the same politeness is considered about the English too, but that is usually linked with our good-old class system i.e. the 'English gent' has always been linked to an 'upper-class' archetype....

AlexInBC

Sweeping generalisation here, I know, but I find most Canadian drivers to be of a poorer standard than I encountered in the UK. Not as agressive/pushy, maybe, but making more risky & stupid decisions (specifically referring to choices of overtaking places, number of people I know who will drive after drinking alcohol, driving way too fast for the road conditions, etc.)

Bill_S

My own two million microcents - I live in Ohio, my parents in Toronto. To drive to Toronto I take I-90 to Buffalo, then cross the border and take the QEW. The difference between the I-90 stretch and the QEW stretch is amazing. On the QEW the only cars traveling less than 80 mph and not weaving or tailgating have American plates. On the way home I can't wait to get off Ontario roads.

dbd33

Oh, I routinely drive at the speed limit, expressed in kilos, but in miles. On highways I never a car length between me and the next car, regardless of speed, as someone will cut in. I pass as many cars on the right as the left (on all types of roads). I drive like a London boy.

Still, I shake my head at the typical driver here. I don't pass on the hard shoulder of highways, I indicate the direction I intend to turn rather than the other, I know how long my car is and can back into parking space. I can open and close my phone while staying in approximately the same lane. Frankly, I'm relieved when I see that a driver is Asian, I'm then calm, though disturbed over the idea of race as a cultural concept.

bazzz

Hah, you never encountered my driving in the UK (good thing too, as you'd probably be looking for a new car).

G77

Google just turned up this gem :-
Discuss.....

http://www.johncletheroe.org/usa_can...ng/fourway.htm

dbd33

Every day I see a raised fist on the highway.

Flossie and Jim

The Canadians I know here think its hilarious that I won't answer my cell phone when I'm driving.

They also think its absolutely fine to get in the car and drive after three cans of 7% lager.

dbd33

On the last trip back from the p-i-l in western Colorado the first vehicle we saw driving in the wrong lane was in Chicago. It had Ontario plates.

dbd33

Oh, even I do that, the locals drink spirits from the bottle while driving.