Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Are there any differences between how people drive in Canada and how people drive in the UK? Apart from being on the other side of the road of course! ;)

For example, I know from experience that in France, drivers will allow you past or make room for you when you're on a motorbike but this is quite rare in the UK. Also, there are quite a lot of middle lane hoggers in the UK (or at least where I live!) but this doesn't seem to be so much of a problem in Europe.

No country will be perfect and we will all have our own personal hang-ups but I was just wondering how different the UK and Canada roads are etc? :)

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

In Canada there is neither law nor convention governing which lane people should drive in. You can drive as fast as you like in whichever lane you like and can overtake on either side. Thus, when a road widens into a dual carriageway, there is a 50% chance that the car in front will take the left lane. Progress along a motorway is made in a series of swerves, to pass drivers comfortably put-putting along in the left, right or centre lane. Care is required because, of course, as you dive from the right for the gap in the middle, someone is doing the same from the left and you have no means of seeing each other. Cars collide a lot, people sue each other tirelessly, insurance costs an arm and a leg (<makes note to compare rates with Hong Kong>).

On a rural road, vehicles turning left commonly pull over into the oncoming lane half a mile or so before the corner, this can be disconcerting as you will then overtake them on the wrong side ("wrong" to an immigrant, cradles don't recognise sides). It's more disconcerting if you're the oncoming traffic.

Roundabouts baffle the populace, people go around them in either direction or drive straight across the middle.

Corners are typically cut so that, at a T junction, a vehicle turning left cannot stop at the lane markings. The driver of any vehicle wishing to turn left into the road where the first vehicle is stopped would then be obliged to go around the stationary vehicle, rather than across the corner at 45 degrees. This upsets Canadians, if you do it they'll jab their pudgy fingers at you and make throat cutting gestures.

Many drivers are recent arrivals from ox cart economies, unaccustomed to the speed of progress usual in motorcars, they proceed in a series of lateral sways approximately centering their SUVs on the lane markings. "Asian" one guesses, in that polictically correct manner, on seeing a veering Mercedes.

Be aware that most drivers cannot see backwards out of their vehicles and have no view over their shoulders, they will change lanes in front of you, partly because rudeness is usual but mainly because, from the wheel of something-pretending-it-can-be-used-on-grass, there is no way to see the next lane.

Buicks, Camrys, Corrolas and BMWs hold the traffic up, don't get behind them at the lights.

All in all I think it fair to say that driving in Canada is a miserable business. A good car would be wasted here which, I suppose, is why Canadians,as a rule, drive beige or grey shitboxes.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

I predict this being an amusing thread of several pages :lol:
Obviously the main difference is being on the other side of the road.
Canada has good drivers and it has bad drivers same as the UK.
Canada doesnt have an obsession with roundabouts or calming circles as they call them in my location. We seem to be obsessed with traffic lights on major highways rather than having frontage roads or over and underpasses to keep the traffic flowing.
Stop signs are just a suggestion almost like red stop lights. Give Way or yield lanes are totally foreign to Canadian drivers as evident when coming off a ramp and trying to join a major highway.
Texting and yakking on a cell phone is now a pre requisite while driving and also juggling with a Timmies double double.
Arret means stop in French. Some places let you turn right on a red stop light and if you dont you will hear the drivers response behind you.
The hand signals used by drivers cannot be found in any Provincial drivers handbook.
All in all its pretty much like the UK:)

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

I think there are three major differences (based on Ontario):

- driving after consuming alcohol is frowned upon in the UK, driving while consuming alcohol (and then throwing the bottle out of the window) is acceptable, indeed common, in Canada.

- it's common for people to drive quickly in the UK, I love to be able to get out on to the M25 and really go, whereas here maintaining 100 is on the 401 is a struggle, see below.

- lane discipline can be lax in the UK, here there's simply no concept of it. I've given up on headlight flashing and horn blowing and now just go around on the wrong side.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

I was under the assumption that the M25 was the UKs biggest parking lot and was almost impossible to reach the 70 mph limit.

Yes it is tempting while driving on the Trans Canada to put your foot down
especially in those 90 kmh areas and meet up with an oncoming OPP car with radar.
At least you can hunt while driving over here pop the 30.06 out of the passenger window and boom got yourself a deer or moose.
I didnt realise that TO had so many places to off road given the amount of 4 x 4 vehicles on the downtown streets.
Plus you can fit at least several people in the back end of a Ford F150 who may or may not be drunk and going woohooo to everyone they pass.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

It's not lawful to shoot from a vehicle. You can have a loaded gun in the vehicle but you must step out to fire it. I know this isn't a law strictly followed, look at the number of road signs with bullet holes in them, but, technically, you can't do that.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Theres technically and legally a lot of things you cant do while driving a vehicle over here but they do it anyway.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

This is a popcorn thread if ever there was one:popcorn:

There should probably be a distinction made early on between GTA/ Big City Drivers and the rest of the country. Driving in my area has the occasional Bozo, but its generally pleasant and courteous. Not so much in the GTA in my limited experience.


In technical terms turning right at a red light is permited here, and there are no speed cameras, so both of those are good things.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

When I arrived here a few years ago I thought indicators (Turn signals) were an optional extra, like fog lights or a sunroof. Nine times out of ten you see the turn signal being used to confirm the turn already made....or in the process of making it..... :cool: Any useful advance warning of the drivers intention to turn, change lanes etc, is usually as scarce as hens teeth.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Unless you are a pedestrian, who has the light and should be able to confidently cross the street.

Instead, I find myself doing the following little dance. Car revs engine impatiently, I step off the curb, car rolls forward past the white line, I stop (not wanting to be run over, but usually just to make a point), car driver glares impatiently, I glare back and gesticulate at the green man, I continue to walk, car whizzes forward as soon as I have cleared their bumper.

I have never had as many cars graze me with their wing mirrors or bumpers as I have since I moved here!

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Fair point, and I should have made it clear that you are supposed to stop at the red, that pedestrians have right of way, and that you turn only if safe to do so...

There seems a lot less patience with pedestrians in the big city too. Patience in general seems in better supply out here in the boonies.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

To the Original Poster: so all the subsequent posters have you bamboozled and terrified. Suffice to say huge exaggerations abound. I've driven in the UK many times and drivers are pretty much the same as in Canada.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Absolutely. Walking in Toronto requires a great amount of concentration. On my daily walk to work it was not unusual to see the two worst culprits, taxis and city buses, going through a red light with no pause at all.

Even here in Guelph, with a considerably less frantic pace, there is still one junction where I know the cars won't stop. And if they do, they'll do the whole aggressive revving thing. I take some pleasure in seeing just how slowly I can move ;)

Edited to add: None of the above is a 'huge exaggeration', merely a by-product of the turning right on red rule.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Plus dont even get us started on cyclists sharing the road :rofl:

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Ack! Taxis. Taxi drivers have no clue where they're going nor when they're going there, the movements of a taxi are utterly unpredictable to the driver, nevermind the drivers of other vehicles. Give taxis a wide berth and be glad the drivers aren't holding scapels.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Absolute rubbish in terms of Toronto and the GTA. There is a huge lack of awareness on the part of many, many drivers here. Far more than in the UK. Taking evasive action is a constant part of any drive here.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

+1. My local crossroads of Yonge and Eglinton (essentially two motorways meeting in a high density residential, working, pedestrian area) is a prime example of how red lights (and pedestrians) are routinely ignored. I have learned though that the police are willing to follow up if you are prepared to give a statement in writing and have done this a number of times after nearly being killed.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

But according to some many of the taxi drivers are very well qualified to use a scalpel or other surgical instruments or other highly regarded professional occupations. Still I admit their driving skills are shite.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Amen to that.

I had a taxi driver go the wrong way up a one way street. That was alright because it was very early and no one was around. He then made a turn down a dead end street with underground parking at the end. This was rather alarming for a number of reasons. Instead of backing up and taking a more traditional route, he drove onto a grass verge, along an alleyway between two buildings and eventually found a street. At that point, I waved a tenner at him and bailed. On that morning, walking would have been more sensible, even through St Jamestown.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Driving in Canada will make you think that places such as Milan are centres of fine driving and etiquette..

Or put another way, with large car industry as a major lobbyist, the standards are set low enough such that if you can earn enough to afford the payments your clearly going to be able to pass the test..

To add to this, some ethic groups have worked out ways to circumvent the process so that some within their groups, those who are too stupid to pass the rather easy test will get others to do it for them, resulting in some spectacularly dumb people on the road in control of vehicles..




I believe there are places in the world worse than Canada, I do not believe any are in the first world,.
A simple comparison of insurance premiums will give you a clue to the incompetence of the Canadian driver!

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

They could rarely find my place even when it was "bottom of Yonge Street, the Star building will do". Canada wants to import proper taxi drivers, not more bloody PhDs who can't work a map.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

One notable difference here, is the reluctance to wear seatbelts. Even with sometimes weekly accidents where someone was thrown from the car and killed/mained as a result. Growing up in the "clunk-click-every-trip" era in UK I still struggle to grasp why this is the case.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Oh.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

I can completely and totally agree!!

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Good thread!

I don't think there's any way we could describe drivers in the UK as being 'good' by any means, but Canadian drivers can be so infuriating that I find myself longing for the good old days of road rage on the M25. My particular bugbears:
- middle lane drivers. Those b*stards who get themselves into the middle lane as quickly as possible (despite a completely empty slow lane) and stay there, completely oblivious to anyone else around them
- lack of indicators. Must be a problem with North American cars. They just don't seem to have any.
- complete inability to merge into highway traffic, or the understanding that one might need to move out of the way to allow someone else to merge. Makes me weep.
- proliferation of pickup trucks, minivans and SUV's so large that those of us in a normal sized car can't see ahead and have to hope to god they've got working brake lights
- the amount of people driving around at night who haven't got their headlights on (my sister was visiting from the UK recently and this one amazed her)

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

That's just the unintended consequence of removing control of the headlights from the driver. No doubt they'll eventually change the law to make the back lights stay on all the time.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Good God you're not wrong!! I've rode my motorbike around the Arc De Triomphe several times just for kicks and then parked it on the road almost under the Eiffel Tower (it's broken down honest! ;)) while I took a sneaky picture before the Gendarmerie tried to move in, he he he! But this sounds worse! :ohmy:

We have a trip booked for May for 2 weeks, so what would be your 'top tips' for driving in Canada? Should we take out extra insurance on the hire car! ;)

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

How many on this thread have passed any form of advanced driving course? Define "good".

I agree that most Canadian drivers appear to consider looking where they are going as a distraction to everything else they are doing while driving:p

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Me!! Car and motorbike advanced training with extensive European driving. I can also drive a tractor but not legally, sshhh!

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Me too though I don't see the relevance. I owned a tractor until quite recently, I don't think there's any law governing driving one except that you have to be aged 14 or over to go on public roads.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Agreed with the middle lane hoggers, hgwy 2 is a spaghetti plate of cars and trucks over / undertaking, no use of ndicators / mirrors / common sense.

"Holy *****ing sh*tballs wtf " is not an uncommon quote of mine

does anyone else find that when trying to merge onto the four lane you have to either speed up to light speed or slow right down to get on, others drivers have absolutely no concept whatsoever about shifting lanes to allow you in.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

I like that I can undertake...

One explanation for the middle lane hogs I was offered was that its the safest place to be in terms of deer running across the road in front of you, and unexpected drifts of snow across the highway. There might be something in that, who knows.

TBH I dont find drivers here any better or worst than the UK, but they maybe are not as disciplined. I just wonder how you all figure out which of the clowns are Canadian, and which are immigrants and visitors. My own suspicion is that most of the over aggressive idiots are probably transplanted Brits anyway.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

'most everyone's legally Canadian so that's not a useful differentiator. Cradles wear plaid and hats and drive pick ups so they're easy enough to spot.

I don't think identifying the place of birth of drivers is useful though, people drive badly here, it doesn't follow that they drove badly in their native country or that they drive badly because of their ethnicity.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

I care less about the standard of driving of other drivers (but yes, it's generally poor here) and more about the experience itself. I used to enjoy driving in the UK and would look forward to a long journey. Here it's just joyless and purely a means to get from A to B.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Drivers here stop for pedestrians when they don't have to and wave me out when I'm on my bike waiting.

Taxi drivers are brilliant.

There's a 4 way stop not far from here where, as you approach, you have a very clear view as to whether a car is approaching from any of the other three roads. Without exception, every taxi I've ever been in on that stretch, as well as other cars, will stop even if there's nothing coming.

Obviously there's the odd twit around that toots at you when you're on a crossing; presumably not noticing it is a crossing. Or bus/truck drivers passing me when I'm on my bike and then pulling in too soon as if they don't know the length of their vehicle.

But I feel much safer on my bike or walking than I did back in Bristol.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

This is one of the things that makes driving here shit. ****ing stop signs - almost all of them should be replaced by "yield" signs - I certainly treat them as such and feel no guilt whatsoever.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Or better yet mini roundabouts...

At least there are a few roundabouts springing up here and there now. Not like UK ones, but an improvement over the status quo at least.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

Its Moncton.............
We have wasteland in Ontario that has more traffic :p

Having said that, the behavior of drivers in Moncton when you had the part of you big roundabout ripped up was pretty awful, I saw a lot of jumped lights and cutting each other up when I was there last..

And I can vouch that they don't always stop for pedestrians, I've learn that a few times walking back from town to my hotel…

I also know that drink driving is quite common in the area, which is in part why I walk rather than ride back to my hotel..

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

When i am following a client i drive like a colour blind, 16 year old Chinese imigrant who forgot his glasses, has a bad coke habit and just robbed his dads Honda Accord.
;)
The rest of the time i drive with respect for other road users as should everyone else.

Re: Differences between Canadian drivers and UK drivers?
 

They serve a purpose in some of the residential back streets near me that get used as rat runs. Without them (or speed bumps) I could seriously see kids getting mown down on a regular basis.