bazzz

It probably is so long as you didn't neck them all in ten minutes. It's less than three pints of Stella.

Getting There

Think we'd agree with this. Haven't experienced any agressiveness at all thus far (tho' seem to recall reading a post from Steve P recently with a truly awful account of road rage). However, we have noticed some fairly breathtaking stupidity in terms of joining/leaving highways (road design doesn't help here) and changing lanes (always irritates us that you know they are thinking they just did a superb manouevre when in reality, the only reason there wasn't a huge pile up was because everyone else braked/swerved, etc...Dilberts). Use of phone while driving is still entirely normal here and there is definitely a more relaxed attitude to drink/driving among too many.

Jan spends a fair bit of time driving around the smaller towns and believes that the driving style, tho' again, not agressive, is reflective of times past when there were fewer cars on the road. She senses that some of the drivers are missing the fact that their local towns are expanding quite rapidly, and road risks are increasing accordingly. More than once, she's nearly been taken out by a car reversing out into the middle of the road from a kerbside angled parking space where the driver has clearly just assumed the road would be clear.

However, on the flip side, generally speaking, versus driving in the south-east of England and up and down to Lancashire, we are finding it much easier and less stressful to get around here (southern Alberta). There's just no comparison in terms of levels of congestion.

Eamonn & Janet.

Surrey Expat

A few observations of Vancouver drivers

• Not signaling at all, to make a turn when there is a choice of directions or coming off the freeway
• Signaling when there is only one way to go, after not signaling to exit the main highway
• Putting on a signal to change lanes does not automatically give the driver the right of way, contrary to what they may think
• Maneuvering is - Look, signal, maneuverer when safe to do so, not signal and go, or often just go and screw the signal
• Pulling in front of a heavy truck is ignorant, pulling in front of a heavy truck and putting on the brakes is stupid
• At least one cars length gap in traffic is not meant to be filled, it is for safety considerations
• Sitting three inches behind the vehicle in front does not make it go faster
• Driving in the outside lane (now considered passing lane) at the speed limit does not make the driver a member of the speed police
• Using a cell phone (looking at it it dial a number), reading the paper, leaning down to pick up something off the floor, looking at the person next to you while talking to them, these are all activities that should be discouraged whilst driving
  
• Oh and in the interests of economy, we only use one finger over here.

redneckboy

Maybe I can give you some perspective.

I grew up in Vancouver, then lived in Nova Scotia and Ontario when in the military for a few yrs, then on to Alberta for Uni and then the states near Chicago for another degree.

Wife and I came to the UK for a few months to travel and see Europe. We have been here 12 yrs (still saving up for a return ticket), have drivin all over Europe. We live in the SE.

When we go to Calgary to see her relations driving there scares the crap out of me, Vancouver only marginally less.

1. Cowboy driving, pass on the inside, the outside, drive 30 in a 100 zone in the fast lane and talk on your mobile, and that's just the coppers.
2. Bloody great redneck pickup 4WD's right on your tail and all you can see is the big bush bar that's at the perfect height to nail a 10yr old off a bicycle
3. Whoever built the on and off ramps of the highways had a head injury, clearly, they have never been travelled to Europe and they are unfamiliar with simple physics.
4.Global warming, just by the size of the vehicles you would think it's a conspiracy
5.Red lights? After 11pm, merely a suggestion, drink up, one more for the ditch!
6. Have you seen that series, long way 'round? They travelled the world through some horrendous terrain and where do they both get in traffic mishaps? Err, uhm, yup, Calgary! Some redneck/chav nails one from behind behind and another gets sideswiped on a corner.
7. Rant over

I'm looking forward to getting back to the wide open spaces of Alberta but not the roads.

val50

OH and I have both had bad car accidents in Nova Scotia since we moved here, both times caused by other drivers. Drivers here are probably the worst we've ever come across

Steve_P

Road rage in Canada.

See my post in this thread. http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=553533

Getting There

That was the post we were thinking of...thanks for highlighting it Steve...shocker.

E&J.

Butch Cassidy

[QUOTE=Flossie and Jim;6698589]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.[/QUOTE]

try 17 bottles of Kokanee and at least 5 shooters

dbd33

Some other things that are irksome here.

- if a Canadian driver catches up to another slower driver he or she typically doesn't pass but drives immediately behind the slower vehicle. Thus, someone wanting to pass, has to pass them both at once.

- no one looks for an already passing vehicle before pulling out of a line of traffic to pass, when going by a line of cars it's prudent to keep one hand on the horn

- the headlights on Canadian cars don't turn off so people don't turn them on. The problem with this is that it's only the front lamps that are always on so very many cars have no rear lights on; this is alarming in fog or falling snow. I expect the government will eventually resolve this by legislating that we all have to drive with hazard lights on all the time. Hazard lights, btw, are currently used here to indicate "I know this is a wanky place to stop my car but I don't care".

Emigre

Anyone here know of this kind of thing i.e. poor driving, road rage etc. happening in the industrialised East Asian countries i.e. Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong etc...I have wondered how much is not down to congestion or modern lifestyles but down to the culture itself?

dbd33

So much of the population here originates from the "industrialised East Asian countries" that that wouldn't be a differentiating factor.

Emigre

Actually come to think of it driving is fairly sound in some European countries like Belgium...really different coming over from England where they seem to drive calmly and carefully. I think the south Europeans are more reckless though.

Don't know about Germany, Scandinavia etc..Does Canada have its very own 'boy racer' too?

dbd33

So far this year over 500 people in the GTA have been charged with the traffic offence of "road racing".

(Heard that on the radio yesterday, too lazy to dig for a newspaper report).

Oakvillian

But that's a universal. In my family they were always known as "park-anywhere lights."

loser40

Hi...

Ive driven in Ontario and was more than a bit shocked by the lack of skill, traffic awareness, and consideration most Canadian drivers seem to have.

Drivers hog lanes doing 55mph and refuse to budge, people constantly tail gate you, and as others have pointed out, this is made all the worse 'cos the slip roads joining & exiting the freeways design is so bad it's beyond a joke.

The road signs aren't that plentiful or easy to read either 'cos they'are generally small.

My tactic for coping is too put my 'pedal to the metal' overtaking all idiots and leaving tailgaters in my dust

Tip - Don't hire a big Jeep and drive at 100mph along a clear freeway assuming the roads are flat and safe. Hitting a bump in the highway at this speed in a new hire vehicle made from antiquated technology is not to be recommended.

M.